Having pushed at door with Essex and Hampshire, Matt Salisbury finally proved himself at first-class level after impressing with Durham, on loan from MCC Young Cricketers, in 2018. He was soon signed up on a full contract until the end of 2020, and finished the season with 44 wickets, having become a central component of Durham's Championship attack. That included a career-best 6 for 37 in Paul Collingwood's last match, ultimately not enough to defeat Middlesex and give him a winning send-off. After that, however, Salisbury's opportunities dwindled in 2021 and 2022, and he left for new beginnings at Leicestershire..