1408 Some English Cricket and politics

Wednesday evening demonstrated the true spirit of Englishness. Although the weather forecast was not promising a thousand or so good folk of Durham and Tyneside assembled at the riverside cricket ground at Chester Le Street between 4 and 6 pm in the hope of another exciting and enthralling cricket match in the 20 20 competition.

It has been a reasonable day, dry and warmer compared to Tuesday which hah been horrible. I had spent the day in writing for pleasure, for work research and in relation to the premature and preventable death of my aunt and care mother with the consequence that I did not set off until well after four arriving at the ground about a quarter to five. I was able to park in the first area of the end car park nearest the main roadway out of the Ground and the Riverside Parkland. There was still a number of car parking and change attendants with all the gates open at the ground although this time there were two police on duty checking bags for alcohol rather than the half dozen civilians. It was nevertheless a full scale operation intended for a crowd that never arrived.

I made my way immediately to Member's lounge when I needed a cold drink deciding on a J20 which at £1.80 was an expensive but enjoyable drink. I then made enquiries and established that the two rows of seating on the covered veranda were available on a first come first served basis, and selected a seat on the second row so that I could hop over without disturbing the others who were seated. I then watched the last part of the English innings against the New Zealand in the second one day at Edgbaston as we struggled to raise the scoring rate in what had become a rain effected and reduced over game. I had heard an interesting discussion about the politics and funding of the new 20 20 game which suggested an urgent need for the international bodies to reach quick agreement over what has happened and what impact the emergence of major prize and earning competitions will have on the game. For example Michael Vaughan the English Test captain does not play in the one day or 20 20 competition with Paul Collingwood of Durham captain of the latter. Paul has the opportunity of wining half a million in a game in the West Indies which is bound to attract world TV interest hence the ability to pay the prize money although it will only take one dropped catch or run out rather like a missed penalty for the team to lose out, What does Mr Vaughan makes of this and other Test Players not likely to make the 20 20 game.

My impression is that the English and other authorities have acted in a panic in order to try and keep our players from going off and making money for themselves and for the match promoters so our lot have come up with competitions which will make money for both players and our official organisation which in turn they will use to improve the County Game as well as promoting cricket in schools and village and town clubs. Later a Durham member suggested to me that test players had a guaranteed income of around £200000 which is so puts a different perspective and adds to gulf between such players and ticket prices and the rest of cricket. It is my understanding that the Test and County cricket board gives just £1million a year to the 18 first class counties.

Unfortunately the spits of rain on the journey down changed to a drizzle so that first the hard covers were brought over the wicket, then the bowlers runs ups, then the side areas to the hard cover and eventually the giant sheets which cover the entire area of the grounds used for wickets. Those experienced on such occasions noted that the decision was taken not to hold the toss as who was to bat first, a good indication that play was unlikely and then the addition of covers rather than their removal. The public address system remained optimistic reminding that if a pint of smooth bitter was bought would could have a draw ticket so that if a player hit's a ball directly in the three large containers around the boundary there would be a draw for £10000. The international 20.20 to be held in August at the ground was advertised with the last tickets available for £35. It will be interesting to see what the actual turn out is on the day is.

Another indicator of what was to come is that although it was raining the Durham All star dancing girls, eight this time, came out wearing their short shorts but all weather tops to do a full dance waving to crowd as they came on and then departed, I waved back noting that it was only children and young men who responded. It was then time for a plate of chips after drinking the hot soup I had brought with me. I did watch part of New Zealand's well played march to victory only to be robbed by the weather when with less than one over to go the rain brought the match to an end, and the game was declared no result. One of Durham's senior players came to talk to relatives who were sitting next to me and then I had a long chat with a long member who had been a teacher. There was continued hope that we might get some play in that it was still possible for sufficient overs to be played for a result to be achieved if the game could start before 27 minutes past eight o'clock and around quarter to eight the large motorised mopping up rollers started to clear water from the top of the covers. However at eight the decision to abandon play was announced and information given on how the tickets could be reused or reimbursed.

At one level given my advancing years and uncertain future spending over four hours watching the grass grow was not a good use of time although given the earlier activities I did not regard the experience as wasteful. It was all very English.

There was a similar restrained and serious atmosphere in the Commons because on top of the four deaths last week in Afghanistan a further four troops had been killed in a road bomb the previous day with another seriously ill. They were not named but later on the news I heard that one was the first female combatant soldier to be killed in what appears to have been a secret mission. The thoughtful reflection on the British role was shared by all three main leaders of the political parties before the Opposition challenged the Prime Minister to admit that the Irish no vote against the new European Treaty meant that along with the Constitution it was dead. The Prime Minister explained why it was necessary to proceed with the British Ratification process, side steeping the Opposition demand that there would not be no attempt to persuade Ireland to hold another vote or get round the effective veto in someway. The government is in a difficult position having previously promised a referendum on the new Constitution and then abandoned the idea when the Treaty was cooked up in order to have a means of operation to cover the expansion of the community. There is no doubt that whatever the benefits of the enlarged community if there is a referendum on anything to do with the European community the British public will vote no and there is no evidence that this will change in the foreseeable future. It is an issue which the government, any government needs to address with profound implications for our future.

1401 20 20 Cricket in the rain

After a week of great weather, the clouds and my mood grew darker as the day progressed. I nearly decided to remain at home dealing with matters that had developed in an unsatisfactory way during the day than attend my first 20 20 cricket match. I had no idea of what the crowd would like on a mid week early, without knowledge of advance ticket sales and the weather so I arrived early and was amazed that at each gate there were two sets of tables so that six individuals could check bags to ensure that no alcohol was brought into the ground. This was nothing to do with tying to limit alcohol consumption as throughout the period before the game commenced everyone was being encouraged to buy pints of the official beer sponsorship of the competition on the basis that tokens were being given for every pint purchased matching numbers placed in three maybe four large containers around the boundary so that if a batsman hit a six directly into one of the containers, I guess about 1 million to one chance, probably 100 million to one, then if there were a thousand tokens or two in the particular cup, and one was yours, you would win £10000.Who is kidding who?

There were also people with change at the entrance of the car parks to ensure everyone was able to buy tickets at the machines which do not give change, more were taking the tickets and there were even police. The crowds did not turn up on the night perhaps because of the weather, perhaps they were not expected and this was a rehearsal for the international match which takes place next week. There was not as much razzmatazz before the game as I had expected. I had chosen to sit behind the wicket as usual but most of the crowd assembled by the pavilion. I was later to find out why. The seats were numbered but it became evident as the evening progressed that you could change areas with the notable exception of the members veranda seats in the pavilion which were almost all take up, not surprising as they were under cover.

The other notable difference was the number of people in the usually vacant sponsors boxes. They had come straight from the office or business so I guess they had food as well as drink provided. Then the game was due to start at ten past six and the razzmatazz commenced. Seven attractive young women in brief tops and briefer shorts, on what was an increasingly cold evening, came out and did a provocative dance to music. These are the Durham All Stars. More on them later. There was then burst of ground level fireworks as the Durham Men in Black took to the field with the visitors deciding to bat first. This was not match between the great exponents of this form of cricket. Durham has the worst record in the competition of all eighteen participating clubs winning just over one in four games and Derbyshire, the visitors, failed to win one of the games played last year.

It was a miserable night for any form of cricket, or any outdoor activity with rain constantly in the air and sufficiently dark for all other form of the game except this one to have been abandoned, There was in fact an interruption for rain during the Derbyshire innings and where although there was one good knock with fours hit here and there, the highlight was the bowling of the new arrival to the club, the South African Shaun Pollock, a world class player who obtained one wicket for 11 runs but his impressive start was eclipsed by Durham and England's Paul Collingwood who took five wickets for 14 runs, which equals the fourth best performance of all time and which would have boosted his moral no end of good.

Then the rains came and for the second time I hurried off into the Member's Pavilion. I had eaten a hot meal at midday and brought with me a flask of coffee which was quickly consumed as was the single sandwich. It was arriving at the Member's lounge that I realised that having changed my trousers from grey to black, I had not transferred my cash and that having bought the programme I had sufficient money for a cup of coffee or a plate of chips, I settled for a plate of chips during the long interruption for rain before Durham could take to the field and respond to the effort of derby which was a poor one of less than 110 runs. The average score of teams in he competition has been 160 and totals of 200 had been reached in the 20 overs- 120 balls bowled.

Eventually after a good value plate of chips for £1.50 with unlimited sauce Durham took to the ground and the function of the Durham All Star lasses was realised and appreciated. During the Derby Performance every time a wicket fell, a few bars of Another man bites the dust, or you have to look on the bright side, were played and every time there was a four, and no doubt if there had been a six some music favoured by the batsman was played as well as a few bars during the intervals between overs. Everything was done at great speed. I found the constant musical interruptions irritating. There were Durham University students before me when sitting behind the wicket who waved cards showing four every time the Derby team scored so I guessed they originated from the County. However every time Durham scored a four and between overs the girls got up and did a dance although with the cold they had covered the short shorts with leggings. However this did not dampen their enthusiasm and provocativeness. They deserve a medal for keeping going as the darkness descended and it got colder. In fact as the night progressed and they performed immediately in front of Members Lounge and seating at the boundary edge it was the only thing I was able to see.

You knew where the scoreboard was on the other side of the ground because lights came on to signal the batsman, fielder and bowler. Nor was it possible to see the ball or what was happening. As the ball is white and the players are opposite black sight screens, I guess the darkness is no disadvantage to the batsman although if the ball was hit hard or high I doubt if the fielders could see it. Durham were in a hurry to get the revised score which became 48 because of the reduction in overs to be bowled and the loss of wickets. I suspect they also knew that more rain was on its way.

A few second after Durham managed the winning hit and the rest of us rushed to our cars it rained hard and continued to do so all way on the drive home.

I immediate got myself a whisky on return and then a hot drink which looks as if did the trick because the expectant cough and chill has not yet happened, Durham earned two points and can look ahead to two away games next week with confidence. I then read on the text that a businessman is putting up ten million pounds for a winner takes all competition in the West Indies where the players in the winning team will each get half a million pounds, the winning officials will also share in the prize money and several million will be divided between the national body of the winning team and the West Indies The two best teams in the English 20 20 will also compete in a world series event in India this year. Money and then big time has arrived but is it Cricket?

1882 Amy Williams Day, Eastenders 25th and Lost

Saturday February 20th, 2010 will be remembered for the rest of their lives by the Williams family of Bath, because the daughter of the Bath University Professor became only the second British woman to win a gold Medal in the Winter Olympics. There were only 9 previous winners. The first was the Men’s Curling Team in 1924 followed 12 years later by the Men’s Hockey Team. Jeanette Altwegg became the first woman to win a gold medal as a figure skater in 1952 that is 58 years ago and Robin Dixon Lord Glentoran and Tony Nash won the two man bobsleigh event in 1964.

It was then the turn of the skaters again with John Curry in 1976, Robin Cousins in 1980 and then the most memorable of all Jane Torvill and Christopher Dean in 1984. It was another 18 years before the 9th medal when the Women’s Curling team won in 2002.

If the reactions so far this morning are an indication of the what is to happen from now on the name of Amy Williams will become the most famous of all because of 24 hour media and the British need for success in sport. In this instance there is the added dimension of the courage required to hurtle yourself approaching 90 miles an hour head first on a small flat sleigh, especially as a fellow competitor in the bob sleigh was killed going off the course while in practice. The other dimension is that she is evidently an unassuming young women who has spent the past eight years in hard work, living out of a suitcase travelling to international competitions on her own, away from family and friends.

She has a brother and a twin sister whose excitement and proudness is also evident as they were interviewed at her home of Bath where there someone somewhere had the foresight to create a 160 metre concrete track so that those interested in the sport can practice the running starts. In this respect that she was in her youth a county running champion in the 400 metres is a factor. She is also an artist who hopes one day to run her own gallery, and I imagine now she can chose how and where she wants to spend the rest of her life. It will take Andy Murray to win Wimbledon to prevent her becoming British Sports Woman of 2010 and the Queen will be expected to give her some honour in the Birthday honours if not before. It was a great start to the day.

I cannot let the event pass without commenting on the unsportsmanship of the Canadian hosts who did everything possible to ensure their competitor, the current world champion had the advantage by allowing her unlimited training using the circuit while limiting the opportunities of other competitors including Amy. They were rewarded with only fourth place after their champion messed up on her fourth run and in second place, given the two German skaters the sliver and bronze. The Canadian followed with a protest about eh helmet which Amy was using, a helmet for which she had obtained approval in advance for all her equipment and clothing from the managing body. Shame on you Canada.

Friday afternoon and evening were fully occupied except for an hour around six pm when I planned to visit the supermarket for a weekend shop and then as was my expectation found that the battery was flat and the visit had to be postponed. This was my fault twice unless of course the property has a poltergeist or someone decided to get onto the garage roof down a drain pipe and into the garage to explore what was in the car, or use it to escape from the cold. The more likely explanation is that on my last visit to the supermarket I forgot to close the rear door having removed one of the new two handled bags for life, so that the battery slowly drained as a consequence of the inside light remaining on. Having realised this had happened the following morning, I had settled for Oh no do I have a flat battery, but not in the mood to open the garage door in order to test the battery and then attach the battery charger it was not until Friday evening it was flat as the pancake I did not have on Shrove Tuesday earlier in the week.

I charged the battery for several hours before going to bed but decide against doing so over night. In the morning I double checked that I had the correct charger and the leads had been correctly connected, I know I should have done this the night before and will leave for several more hours before checking around Lunch time again in the evening and if necessary leave over night and then if the red light does not change to green I will have to consider plan B.

I drove the car along the sea front and coast to Seaburn and the roundabout which I was able to view from my home of thirty years previously and then returned via Whitburn Village and Cleadon before undertaking the shop. I was struck by the number of people out an about, enjoying the fun of the fair in Shields and walking the sands at Seaburn. There were some sitting outside over a cup of tea, later afternoon fish and chips or for a smoke. It remained bitter cold with snow on the higher ground and some roofs. Hardy folk in these parts.

I was in a good mood by 5.30 yesterday as England had an unexpected win against the World 20 20 Champions, Pakistan at the magnificent stadium in sports city Dubai. Admittedly Pakistan were with out their best player Shahid Alfridi and who will return for the second match this afternoon and they had shaky start to their innings, but overall the win was comfortable. The English bowlers had an early success when Pakistan opened the batting taking wickets when the score was 9, 20, 26 and 39 with only the fifth wicket partnership adding more than 20 runs, 47 in total, and will Malik getting the top score of 33. Swan 2 for 18 was the best of the bowlers with Broad 2 for 23. The disaster struck as facing a low 130 runs to win total, Denly and Trott were out for 10 and Collingwood, a fast runner between wickets misjudged a return for a second run so we were 18 for 3. Pieterson, who has no been in good form, got his down and was still there on 43 with the magnificent Eoin Morgan who showed he required mixture of caution with flair strokes who was undefeated on 67, having struck 4.4,6 off the first three balls of the penultimate over to secure the win. It is becoming a great weekend of sport. By one of those coincidences of fate I had been thinking about the summer of cricket to come while reflecting on the cricket summer of 2008, transferring Myspace Blogs written in June of that year to Google.

The other major event of the weekend was the 25th anniversary live edition and finale to Who killed Archie Mitchell last Christmas. There have been 10 story lines covering possible murderers. There was one of his daughters(1) who in the live episode last night confessed that he had raped her when an adolescent. There was Peggy Mitchell(2)l his wife who he had bullied, and driven out of the Queen Vic and her son Phil (3)who had persuaded his girlfriend to give him an alibi and to get rid of a blood stained shirt. There was Archie’s most recent conquest Janine Butcher(4) and has a history a nasty, vindicate young woman, capable of murder and lying. When Archie throws her out after gaining control of the Old Vic with her help. She is one of the obvious suspects. Her boyfriend is another(5). Ian Beale(6), the longest cast member being in the first programme, and approaching 3000 performances. He slept with Janine and was blackmailed by Archie and as with Phil entered the pub on the fatal night to steal a lap top. The third person to be in the pub, who came to blows was Bradley Branning(7) the lover of bipolar Stacey Slater(8) who Archie had also raped and who she believed was the father of the baby she is carrying. The couple chose to have a quiet wedding on the same day as the wedding of Rickie Butcher and Bianca Jackson for the second time in their young lives Bradley‘s, father(9), and his uncle, a police detective(10), and Stacey herself are all other suspects.

There was a small circle of programme makers who had kept the secret for more than a year and even the cast did not know until the closing minutes of the live show, when Stacey was asked to reveal the truth in the closing moments after her husband has fallen to his death from the roof tops when chased by the police, calling out her name.

This is not the occasion to review the past 25 years of the programme and which I have watched almost continuously for years at a time, but not over recent years. The Who killed Archie series was over drawn out and over the top, although the umbrella description of soap opera is appropriate given the implausibility of most opera stories. I was pleased to learn that Alfie Moon, played by former pop star Shane Ritchie and his wife Kat played by Jessica Wallace. There was also a performance of Dennis Watts the original publican with his wife Angie.

I am expecting much from the last series of Lost based on what the programme makers have promised and what they have achieved so far. I had not anticipated the two dimensional opening of the double first programme of the new and last series which opened last week. I am impressed with how the approach was continued in the second week, third episode of the last series this week. I forgot that there is a new episode night of Friday at 9 am and had a preferred programme on Saturday night so watched on Sky Player around midnight

In the first dimension the plane does not crash and Jack’s belief that detonation of the thermo nuclear device when he and Kate, Hurley and Sayid and Sun returned to the Island with Ben and Locke in his coffin, would achieved this, is proved correct. My informed guess is that all the main characters would interact after their return to the USA, was also proved right so far. In the second episode the primary focus commenced with Kate.

Last week Kate returned on the plane with her minder, who in the original crash is killed. In the continuing plane journey without the Island Kate manages to escape while going to the toilet and with one handcuff around a wrist she manages to get out of the airport with his handgun and jumps into a taxi in which 36 week pregnant Clare is going off to see the couple who were adopting her baby and who had arranged to meet her at the airport. The cab driver bails out at the first opportunity and Kate drives on to a point where she leaves Clare at a bus stop taking her money and possessions with her. Kate uses the available cash to bribe a back street auto repair yard to free her from the tell tale handcuffs, after which then examines Clare’s possessions, realises that she is pregnant and that bag contains preparations for the birth. Guiltily she returns to where she dumped Clare and finds her still there and agrees to take her to the house of the couple adopting the baby and agrees to go with her into the house only to find that the husband has left and his wife is no longer wanting to go ahead with the deal.

Clare goes into premature labour at 36 weeks and Kate takes her to hospital where Clare decides that the doctors should attempt to slow down and stop a birth taking place although it would be possible for labour to proceed given the length of the pregnancy to date. While Kate is in an adjacent office, the police arrive to question Clare having tracked down that wanted Kate was with her, but go off accepting the story given by Clare without much ado, which was the only dubious aspect of this episode. Kate and Clare have become bonded and it is evident that the relationship is to continue.

In the alternative or parallel dimension Kate, Sawyer, Hurley, and Jin have been captured by the Temple dwellers with the dying Sayid after he has been shot. The effect of the thermo nuclear devices, has been to time shift their presence of the island to the present day. Although Judith initially survived the bomb blast she dies from the wounds received when she fell down the drilling shaft, and Sawyer’s rivalry with Jack turns to hatred. When the opportunity occurs for Sawyer to escape from the stronghold of the Temple dwellers he is soon followed by Kate and Jin. Jin goes off in search of Sun while Kate follows Sawyer to the DHARMA Initiative accommodation compound and to the bungalow where he lived with Judith. She then follows him to the landing stage where Sawyer admits he blames himself for Judith’s death because he persuaded her not to leave the Island on the submarine when she had the opportunity.

Back at the Temple the leader of the dwellers insists on seeing Sayid on his own and appears to be torturing him with electrodes and then placing a hot poker on the heals wound of the gunshot. An assistant says he has passed the test and then admits afterwards that he has not. The Temple leader then gives Jack a capsule to give to Sayid. Sayid is willing to take this if Jack asks him to and then Jack presses for information about the capsule and the leader explains that it was a poison in an attempt to cleanse Sayid because he had become infected, like Clare

Jin, who went off to find Sun and decides to return to Temple but runs into two of the guards one of whom does not believe his story and decides to kill him when he gets caught in an animal trap trying to escape a second time. However the two guards are then shot by someone unknown who transpire to be Clare.

Thus we have progress in the stories Kate and Clare but the two are not the subject of the third episode, views this Friday and where the focus is on Locke, in his three dimensions, having returned home, dead in the coffin, back on the island, and as the Smoke Monster, having shaped shifted into his body form.

Off the plane, the electrics fail on his wheel chair as he exits his specialist vehicle when he reaches home where he lives with the woman he met at the therapy sessions, and he is shortly marry and has been planning the event. Locke took official leave to attend an important business conference in Australia, but instead attempted to go on a ‘I can do it’ outback adventure which he was refused participation because of being committed to a wheel chair.

His deception is found out on returning to the office and his refusal to explain his actions leads to him being fired, added to which he cannot get onto his vehicle because someone had badly parked. This turns out to be Hugo, a confident Hugo no longer believing he is the Jinx lottery winner and who owns the company and tells him to contact someone who will get him a job within the Hurley expanding business empire. The contact appears to be a human resource agency who helps Locke to accept that he is not going to be able to return to being the site foreman on a construction site. He is then seen as an agency supply teacher at a High school, taking basketball training and a class on reproduction biology. The idea that one can switch into such a post seems ludicrous, although it might be possible in the USA. He takes the position after admitting his reception over the conference to his wife to be, and his realization of having to adjust. The supervisor at the human resources unit is none other than Rose Henderson, one of the supporting travellers on the original flight with six months to live and has gone on the holiday visit with her husband, a dentist and who were seen in passing returning home on the continuing flight.

Back on the Island the island the story continues from the point where the Smoke monster in the form of Locke had killed Jacob, and then puts Jacob’s former sidekick Richard, over his shoulder with him, leaving a bemused Ben behind. The leadership of the remaining group who crashed on the adjacent Island include Sun Kwon and the pilot who was to have originally flown the plane from Australia, is taken by Llana, someone who only appeared later in the series but where this episode is to reveal that she is to have a major role in the rest of the series.

Llana is a bounty hunter employed by the family of an employee of Charles Widmore who has been killed by Sayid. It is Llana who captures Sayid an puts him on the second flight to the Island and it is she who raises questions about Locke and now insists that they journey to the Temple, where she confidently tells Sun she will learn about Jin. They bury Locke before departing, and in the makeshift service Ben admits that he killed Locke. Was Llana who has knocked out Richard for failing to answer her questions.

As they journey across the Island, it is not clear why the Monster in the form of Locke is carrying Richard away from the encampment of the survivors of the second plane crash. When he stops and Richard recovers, Richard takes the opportunity to leave despite Locke explaining that eh is taking him to where he will be able to find out what the Island is all about, something which he admits was never discovered by Jacob. He advised, more a warning that he will soon see him again. Locke then reaches the former DHARMA accommodation compound where he persuades Sawyer to accompany him to learn the answers to his questions. He agrees, drowning his sorrows in whisky. On the way he see a young boy who warns Locke not to kill Sawyer and thus we learn that there are other powerful forces on the island. Locke is impressed that Sawyer can see the boy. They reach the top of a tall and steep Cliffside over which there is a vertical makeshift ladder in three sections down to a cave. Sawyer nearly falls as one section of the ladder collapses. In the cave the Locke monster shows sawyer the ceiling on which there are the names of passengers of the original flight and presumably others who have featured in the series. Locke, now described as the man in Black crosses out the name of Locke. Each name has been allocated a number and we are shown five names which have not been crossed out: Hugo Hurley Reyes, James Sawyer Ford, Sayid Farrah, Dr Jack Shepherd and Kworn covering Sun and Jin. It is significant that these five names together with Locke have the numbers of 4,8,15,16, 23 and 42, the same numbers of Hurley’s lottery win and the number on the entrance to first DHARMA underground centre which was discovered during the first season. Of particular note there is no reference to Kate.

1399 Cricket at the Riverside Chester Le Street

It nearly was the greatest and most important county game that Durham has ever played. The sun was out shining brightly first thing as I drafted the Blog for the previous day and decided that I would go to the fourth day of the county match with Hampshire although with six wickets down and over 100 runs to win it could be all over within half an hour. I decided that would take my camera to photo within the ground and then along the riverside parks and through the railings to the adjacent sports ground and then perhaps to the town of Chester Le Street. See 101 photos Cricket at Riverside

Because of this I decided to park at the Riverside parks car park and walk under the dual carriage way roadway through the tunnel which leads go the official ground car parks. These are some of the most pleasant looking car parks anywhere divided by shrubbery, hedgerows and trees.

It used to be possible to enter the ground as one crossed over the road way from the car parks or the entrance which allows cars with passes for use of facilities on match days, media, visiting team, officials of the clubs, guests of sponsors and the like, but now we are all required to continue walk along a pleasant parkway with seats and more shrubs and trees to the modest main entrance where Members hand over their voucher for the day or pay to enter. To the immediate left is the magnificent health centre building which I have not seen inside and then the extended Don Robson Pavilion where the first entrance leads to the first floor Riverside Member's Lounge, food servery, bar, balcony seating, trophy cabinets and official notice area.

Outside there is the entrance to Austin's a public access bar and restaurant open through the year and day whether there is a match playing or not. The stand continues overhead although you can access Member's restricted seating and then in the second part of the Pavilion there is there is the club shop, the box office and the main entrance and reception area. There is also the physiotherapy centre and entrance for players club and playing officials and official visitors. Nearby there is the car park for visitors and playing officials and then my entrance to the South Stand seating below the media centre.

In the rush I had left my rucksack, lunch, and hat and therefore sat towards the back of the seating which provided an excellent overview of the wicket. I did not anticipate what then happened. The key was an innings of 50 by Blenkenstein who was then caught in what he and we thought was a dodgy catch, that is that the edge the ball with his bat and it was caught by a fielder but did hit the ground just before? Although another wicket fell before lunch there was a growing sense that the impossible could still happen.

At the luncheon interval I returned to my car for the sandwich and coffee and then reorganised so that I left my jacket and took the haversack back to my seat. Then when the ninth wicket fell we all thought it was all over but then the miracle and the dream began to appear a reality as a ten wicket partnership developed between the last batsmen, England's Steve Harmison and "Bob" Davies slowly edge towards victory and then appears able to hit the ball hard and to the boundary and the small crowd was becoming hysterical in its disbelief. Alas with only four runs required Davies edge a ball and was caught and the dream was over.

I packed up and went off with my camera walking the long way round the ground trying to capture the atmosphere of the silent sports area, the nets, and the picnic banking in front of which cars with eligible disabled parking certificates were able to come into ground for free. Leaving the ground I headed the short walk to the riverside bank trying to indicated something of the long walking available as the Wear headed from Durham City towards Sunderland and the North Sea. It is possible to walk under the new road bridge to where there was once a river crossing and then along the embankment with the open parkland to the left. There are warning notice along the river bank warning that four young people have died entering the river in high summer over recent decades. There is a large safe play area well used by families throughout the summer and where a couple of years back there was a great tragedy when an artist brought a major inflatable into the park which was taken by the wind and people died. There is no indication now of that tragedy but and on this beautiful Monday families and couples had come from near and far to enjoy this well known riverside parkland. I continued along the embankment to a small weir and then a popular area with swans and ducks where the river widens. There are seats along here sheltered by a grass bank where fortunately there is a pathway leading to area of formal gardens which including bowling greens. There is also a Park Centre where refreshment can be purchased and eaten at picnic tables. There is a quite a walk across open parkland back to the car. I had completed the part of the planned task for the day. I took the car the short distance to the Chester Le Street cricket ground. It was here that Durham played one county match at year over the first four or five seasons while the new ground was made ready. The major memory is when Durham played the West Indies on this ground and looking around I wondered how we all fitted in. There is now a new clubhouse.

I then found a place to park adjacent to the main shopping road which is where I travelled by bus from South Shields last week. I was lucky as someone left as I arrived and other vehicle following me had to wait until some else also vacated a space. Chester Le Street is an ancient hilly town of some twenty four thousand people 13 miles West of Sunderland, a Roman Fort town and where for 113 years the body of St Cuthbert rested before being moved to Durham Cathedral. In Chester le Street the Bible was first translated into English.

The High street is a mixture of Inns and shop, estate agents and banks including the Cooperative and a Woolworths and where I returned after viewing the new market place artworks. At this point I ran into problems with the camera which I will need to check out tomorrow having concentrated on uploading 101 photographs of the visit and writing up Blogs, other work, including emails and getting my evening meal. At Woolworths I remembered that I needed a larger sieve than my existing one to drain the noodles for the stir fry's. For about three years I have used one of the steel flasks with stopper from which it is possible to pour liquid without unscrewing. I then acquired a second flask as a gift from a Staples Order and recently when cleaning I dismantled without being able to reassemble accurately so today I consigned this flask to nearest and purchased a new one from Woolworths. It is possible to keep hot drinks warm 8 hours and cold for 24 in these flasks. Unfortunately when I returned home I discovered that the top unit was missing and the assistant at the cash desk had not appreciated this was so. I am going to Chester Le Street on Wednesday for the first 20 20 game in the evening at 6.15 and I could go to return the flask or obtain the stopper unit then. However if the weather continues to be fine I may go on a bus trip to Durham via Sunderland and Chester Le Street and will decide first thing in the morning.

I also called in at a Green Grocers in town for a lettuce, some grapes, some tout mange and three bananas, returned to the car to the car and arrived back home at 5pm. I uploaded and added descriptions to 101 photos.

1398 Cricket on a Summer's Day

To day has been the best weather day of the year with warm sunshine from soon after dawn until dusk and with intense heat penetrating clothing midday. Not Mediterranean high summer heat but better than can be remembered from last year but not as hot as the previous summer although I cannot recall such prolonged sunshine.

On such days the cricket does not usually matter although on this occasion it did. Real cricket comprises this form of the game with each side playing two innings over four days, In England the weather condition play an important role not just because the game cannot start or continue when it rains but the kind and level of cloud cover affects the flight of the ball in the air. Frequently it is evident that the game will be drawn at an early stage, or it is going to be one sided and over quickly. Occasionally there are two sides who are well matched and result is in doubt until the last moments on the last day thus replicating what often happens in the shorter games, originally of sixty single over innings and then reduced to fifty which is the format of the Friends Provident Trophy and in recent times two additional competitions the 40 over one day games and even more recent the English invented the short time money spinner of 20.20 which last less than four hours and is often held early evening and sometimes under floodlights, to maximise crowd and revenue and which In India this year became a tournament where cricketers could earn over a couple of weeks more than they earned for the rest of the year. The risk is that this kind of cricket takes over the rest of the game where already the number of four day games each year has been reduced by the creation of two small leagues of first class counties where there used to be one, to accommodated increase in the shorter games although in fairness the County game as it is called was increased from three to four days in order to ensure there were more games ending in result.

However because of the tendency for games still to be drawn bonus points have been introduced which are increased when all the wickets are taken to a maximum of 3 making total of 6 possible and then for batting on a similar sliding scale from 200 runs to over five. This ensures that a side which makes a large first innings total gets good overall batting points if it then bowls out the opposition quickly, twice. In the instance of this game because of the exceptional quality of several players on both sides there has been a titanic struggle to gain supremacy with the initiative swinging from side to the other but always with Durham chasing a game set by Hampshire which was proving the better side because of one player performing better on the day. He appeared to take the initiative away from Durham early on in the morning by smashing 74 runs all around the ground and he then bowled well taking some key wickets. He is called Mascarenhas and so out of touch have I become that I cannot say what his country of original and residence is what his previous level of performance has been. True cricket fans can recount the backgrounds and he performance records do this for every players in the county championship although the movement between clubs has increased significantly every year.

In some respects we are returning to the original position of Gentlemen and Players when the Gentlemen cricketers were those with family incomes or other occupations which enabled them to play cricket during the summer and return to the management of their estates, businesses and professions for the rest of the year for the one to two decades after leaving their public schools and sometimes University.

There were Winter tours abroad in which everyone played the game full time, to Australia, India, New Zealand, South Africa, Pakistan and the West Indies, former British Colonial territories where the game had been taken by the occupying forces and colonial civil servants and then adopted locally and the local commenced play better than those from the mother country. It was a tradition that the our side and visitors when they came here for the summer Tests also played the counties, Oxford and Cambridge and the Combined university team

The Gentlemen did not receive payment for playing and I cannot remember if they received their travelling and accommodation expenses. The Players who were considered to be inferior beings because they had to play the game full time for payment, although they too took up other occupations when the retired in their thirties, sometimes earlier and occasionally later.. As now it was mainly elders and mainly older men who the time to watch county cricket although in summer there was encouragement for families to attend with Yorkshire playing a week of cricket at Scarborough for example. There was no cricket on Sundays until the one day matches were held so most counties relied upon the revenue earned for Test matches relayed through the national association, especially after television, and in particular Sky TV took over the showing of cricket. There were key games during the season Surrey versus Middlesex and Yorkshire against Lancashire called the battle of the roses and these games were closely followed throughout the country.. There were five Test matches played of five days beginning at Lords, the home of the MCC, the Marylebone Cricket Club, who ran the game nationally and picked the national side and who controlled the ground, which was also the County Ground for Middlesex. Ladies were not allowed into the main Pavilion and its seating area of with the famous Long Room where you could watch play sitting at high stools at the window. Other Test grounds were the Oval where Surrey played, Test Bridge Nottingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham the Warwickshire County ground, Headingly Leeds, that of Yorkshire with its Rugby League main stand forming one side of the main public stand or the players had their own dressing room and watching balcony elsewhere, and Old Trafford, neat the Manchester United Ground, the home of Lancashire.

The international games as with the domestic games has changed beyond recognition so that touring only play a couple of warm up games with other teams, if that, and there are at least two touring sides playing a smaller number of Test games each year but then several one day games and now the 20 20 matches. There are world competitions and special tournaments for the one day game and also now for the 20.20. There are also a dozen more countries playing the one day game but the last world one day competition in the West Indies put paid to that because it went on too long before the teams were narrowed to the last eight knock out and the crowds were poor for early stages with people not prepared to visit from other countries and local interest in the game had reduced with more attention to football and basketball where the money could be made, This year a new champions league competition is to be tried involving the leading and original playing countries, although in fact some of the junior nations are better than some of the older including England, although it is really England and Wales because Glamorgan, the Welsh County plays in the primarily British League, but in Scotland there is a separate national side which plays in the English competitions but is not accepted as first class county, the position of Durham until 1992.

If the weather is fine tomorrow I may go for finish and then do the riverside photography as part of the Rivera project.

1397 A Saturday at Cricket

It has been as good Saturday, not brilliant but a good day. I worked all morning, then went to cricket taking my lunch to eat mid afternoon. I left the match before the end of play to shop, returned for evening meal, watched an awful film, listen and partly watched a U2 video, could not find mobile phone, found mobile phone, searched for Film Theatre membership, found membership card, felt sad but understood why.

I awoke at a reasonable hour after a mixture of waking dreams which I understood quickly shaking off the feelings they engendered.

I wanted to continue about national and local politics knowing it was a work which I might not send to those who it could influence because of the implications of doing so. I knew from previous experience hoping that someone else might also say what needed to be said was not good enough. I did not want to take on the responsibility involved in submission but I needed to complete the writing and then decide. It is the kind of writing which involves prolonged concentration and then a break and a fresh look and repeat the process until satisfied.

The sun broke through the mist and then the clouds and I decided to go to the second day of the match where Durham was playing Hampshire. There was a better crowd that anticipated given the number of cars parked. The game was being played on the last pitch, furtherest away from the Pavilion although some members were content to watch from the seats at this part of the ground. I made my way to a point on the southern part of the ground behind the wicket after finding the northern area closed. It was a good seat four rows up three seats away from the sightscreen area and in the sun. Durham were all out at the point of arrival some 37 runs short of the Hampshire first innings, a disappointment with more to come. The Hampshire opening pair played and missed a bit, were close to giving catching opportunities but gaining confidence commenced to build a dangerous opening total of over 90 runs which to which was added those gained on the first innings.

Then when it looked that Hampshire were about to achieve an invincible position, the younger Harmison threw the ball from just inside the boundary towards the wicket at the bowler's end and it was a direct hit. One could spend a lifetime trying to do this and not be successful. I thought, as did those around me that the batsman had managed to complete his run but the umpire ruled he had not and Durham had their first wicket. The second quickly followed and then something extraordinary happened. Steve Harmison who had been toiling away with success seemed to get quicker and more accurate and within a blink of an eye he had sent four batsman back to the Pavilion and the game swung again in Durham's favour.

The sun was bright and hot, burning through the cloth of my trousers so I had put my Jacket over the knee. I had been liberal with the sun block to my face and neck. I enjoyed three salami and lettuce sandwich halves around 3pm, having had two rounds of toast and coffee around 11 am, such was the drive to write. There had been no music although I checked the test score where there was no play before lunch and also what was happening at Durham on the text. Otherwise it was work and work on.

On arrival I bought a ticket for the semi final game against Kent which saved £6 if I had been a non member and bought in advance or £9 if bought on the day. One other person was buying a ticket before me and we were invited into reception for the purchase. He had been to Lords last year for the trophy winning final The previous and only other time he had visited Lords he had cycled from Durham to London, staying with a friend at Thornton Heath which is not far from Croydon and Wallington. It had been over fifty years ago. We had both been in our teens and I still had my cerise bicycle. He had seen Denis Compton play for Middlesex and Len Hutton for Yorkshire. I told him I had a copy of Len's autobiography which he had signed at the Army and Navy Stores. It was a good chat for a few minutes sharing experiences which only other cricket fans would be interested. We went our separate ways to out favoured parts of the ground, perhaps we would never see each other again.

The sun went in around tea time when I had the fourth half sandwich and some more of the coffee which had kept hot. Later towards six I appreciated being able to wear the jacket. The sun returned as I left, It was a brilliant June evening but I was proved good in judgment at leaving because the two at the wicket continued until the day ending. The match was evenly poised. A continued stand in the morning could see Durham facing a difficult total given their first innings performance. It was unlikely that the match would go into its fourth day.

I shopped at Lidl buy two packs of frozen bream which had been reduced by over £1 thus making them an even better buy than previously. I also bought more of the tins of prepared salmon with different sauces and dressings, tomato and parsley one I remember also one with a Lemon dressing. I bought a prepared 500 gram pork roast with a mixed pepper topping, some frozen prawns and a loaf of brown bread. There were only quarts of semi skimmed milk. I also liked the look of some packs of Chinese and Southern Fried starters. The total was expensive but I did not feel guilty given the plight of others. I heard on the news that In Zimbabwe aid charities ahd been banned which suggested the government did not want them to witness the intimidation of those in the country or bribing by only giving them food if they voted for the President.

I had defrosted some southern friend chicken for the evening meal which I eat with baked beans followed by strawberries and ice cream and coffee. Later before bedtime when I revived a little I eat grapes and drank ice cold water.

I returned home in time to watch the second episode of the Dr Who, the Library. Last week I commented that this was not a programme suitable for children because it was scary and had very unhappy moments. The second part carried on from before but with excellent acting and a clever story, ended very well. I was impressed by the performance of Catherine Tate but even with the happy ending this was more a programme for adults than children.

I will mention the DVD film Carlito's Way. It is a glamorised and romanticised tale about an Italian, a Black and a Puerto Rican murdering drug traffickers carving out a business having met in prison and bribed guards who achieve a comfortable living, wining and dining and running their business, finding themselves women willing to fit into their lifestyle and then getting away with it with the Puerto Rican and the Black living in Paradise West Indies. I am not being racist by the way as this is the point of the film showing that people who rule the ghetto racial groups could get on with each other albeit in murderous criminal enterprises under the eye of corrupt cops. It is a nasty film.

To make up for this experience I decided to watch a sixteen track U2 Videos from 1900 to 2000. I only knew three of the tracks well. It's a beautiful day. One, one life one love where the documentary covered the three versions of the video. The Third song and second video was Sarajevo which included the visit of U2 to the city. None of the other tracks appealed.

Ever since I could not find the membership card for the Film Theatre I have searched and searched so tonight, after dark I decided to through the environmental box even more thoroughly and sure enough it was there inside the original.

I celebrated by staying up and watching a Billy Bob Thornton movie. It was a curious film. More on than tomorrow.

1394 A good day at Durham Cricket and Into the Blue

I have spent a life time watching sport, mainly football and cricket, and much of it ended in disappointment, with only occasional highs when a triumph on the field of play is shred with all those present who can tell anyone who cares to listen, I was there. Yesterday there was an experience which will be remembered.

From waking up this morning it appears the Gods had decided this was going to be a good day, for after days of wet and damp with long periods of continuous rain yesterday, it was sunny and warm. I had time to lose at a couple of games of Harts, which did not seem to matter, for once, prepare my picnic lunch, get ready and set off for a quick shop. I had defrosted the brad last night and this was a mistake because it had began to harden, so I put on lashings of spread and then thick chunks of salami sausage which I rapped in foil rather than a container to save wait. I added a small enclosed carton of grapes and prepared flasks of tea and coffee. Since disassembling on the pf the metal flasks I have had problems with it and fortunately I put coffee in the other which lasted warm until mid afternoon, while the tea was cold when I tried it after lunch. I remembered everything else including my phone and small pair of binoculars and also including the over the shoulder seat pack although I anticipated the area use for bring your own chairs would be taken up with the temporary stand seating for the international one day game.

I needed to go to the supermarket for bread, a lettuce, chose some diced beef for a stir fry when I returned, some indigestion tablets, kitchen foil and a four pack of baked beans. As a consequence of this stop and being leisurely I arrived at the selected seat only fifteen minutes before the commencement of the game. As expected a enormous bank of garish red seating had been added for the international later in the month and there was a good crowd already assembled similar to that for the semi final last July. The sun was hot and there was little wind in contrast to my first visit of the season just over a week ago. In this instance the visitors, the Nottingham Outlaws won the toss and decided to bat first so it the Men in Black who took to the field of play first. There have been times when Durham's colours were awful especially an unattractive shade if pale blue, so being the Men in Black, given that I usually wear black, seemed another good omen. I decided to wait to see how the game progressed for the first hour before going to check out the Member's Lounge area, refreshments, food and bar, and collect my copy of the 2008 yearbook.

It was a wise decision because before the visitors and put their first run on the scoreboard Jefferson was LBW to Thorpe for 0 and only 11 runs latter Wagh was bowled Davies for 3; Voges was run out for 13 when the score had reached 34 and Swann who was playing well was then immediately LBW to Thorp for 18 with the scoreboard 34 for 4. The unbelievable continued as the sub beat down and I smothered the visible flesh with factor 25 sun cream. Shafayet was caught by Breese off Ben Harmison when the score was 74, Reed was also caught Breese off brother Steve Harmison for 0 at 81 for six, Ealham was hen bowled by Breese for 9 at 100 and Franks was caught Di Venuto also bowled Breese for 0 and at 102 for 8 the match appeared over, and then Patel took control and against some weak bowling from Steve Harmison and Breeze he amazed everyone, especially the rest of the Nottingham side by scoring 114 until bowled by Brian Harmison to bring the innings to a close at 188, with Pattinson caught by wicket keeper Mustard off Steve Harmison for 7 runs but in an invaluable and near match winning partnership which added 48 to the total.

Patel's performance meant that Nottingham had made a match of it and the result was no longer predictable. I nipped away from my seat just before the final wicket fell in order to visit the Gentleman/before the rush, collected the year book and made my way to the Riverside Lounge which is the whole length of the first floor of the Pavilion except for the player's dressing rooms at the far end. Here it is possible to eat a hot main course meal from between £5 and £7 for a roast with fish and chips six pounds something, or but coffee or tea, pints of beer or something stronger and sit at tables the first rows of which look out sideways over the ground although as with the last sixteen games the wicket was set at the far edge of the playing oblong, and if you arrive early enough and the weather is good you can sit outside the lounge m in a veranda also the length of the lounge area. There numerous display cabinets on the history of the club, including the office score card and photograph of that first match at Durham University ground in 1992 when the club played the first County game against Lancashire in the then Sunday League, There was then time for a walk to the ice dream van which ahd attracted a huge queue and I restricted the purchase to a single cone without flake or raspberry sauce.

The innings of Patel, however brilliant appear to be in vain because although the erratic Mustard gave a simple catch when he was 1 and the score 20, Di Venuto and Smith added 107 more runs for the second wick so that at one point Durham was 126 for needing only 83 runs to win at an average of only three runs an over.

Then disaster as wickets fell at 127, 129,134, 136 and 139. There was a temporary recovery before the seventh fell at 163, the eight at 167 and the ninth at 177. Worse still the scoring rate slowed to that of a snail and then Mr Breese came to the rescue of his colleagues by hitting two dour in an over and then came to the last ball of the penultimate over with six runs required. By this time tension among the home crows had reached unbearable proportions. Some who could not stand it left. For the greater part of the day the talk had been about the chances of another visit to Lords for the final of the competition and the change from not expecting to win matches let alone a trophy or two, to the expectation that very game at home could be won and should be won.
And then as I say Breese faced the last ball of the over. Someone near said a winning would be fine but he would accept a single so that Breese would have the strike for the start of the next over, or a four which would mean two runs needed with six balls to play. He hit a six there was stunned silence before the ground erupted in ecstasy and we were as stunned as the Nottingham team.

I made way to the Gentleman's as everyone took in the significance of yet another win with the semi finals played in a month's time and the final in mid august. I have not planned a trip for August or had a visit to London this year so with a special Travel Lodge offer for summer announced for 6 am tomorrow I might book . With everyone staying until the last ball it was pointless trying to leave the car park so I switched on the radio and listened to the news of Obama securing the Presidential Candidate Party nomination for the Democrats and eat the carton of prawns in shell I had bought earlier in the day.

On return it was time for the stir fry followed by a few more grapes and coffee which I eat watching a programme about the creation of the largest cruise ship in the world, with fifteen passengers decks for the 4300 passengers and 1300 crew, it is indeed a floating township and mini city. It has a water park, a dedicated adult pool and a main pool as well as 2 whirlpools. There is mini golf and rock climbing flat TV in state rooms and Wi Fi and cell phone connectivity. There is a casino and an Ice rink well as a theatre, and various bars and restaurants I have said it before but I say it again. I am puzzled by the concept in the days of the jet plane.

I then watch John Thaw in the TV film Into the Blue, not to be confused with a Hollywood film of the same name. This is a clever film set on Rhodes and England about the relationship between John Thaw as a failed character and his friend who had to resign and leading politician because of a scandal but then made his fortune in the arms trade, There are two back stories. The first is that of John Thaw who led a successful like with wife, son and profitable businesses until his son dies, his wife leaves for some one else and he loses everything else from drink and self pity. H is rescued by the former politician who makes him care taker of his home on Rhodes where he is seduced by an attractive young women who then disappears, [presumed dead. John is suspicious about what happened and comes back to England to fin out where all the evidence points to his friend having a murky past, first with the death of girl who drowns in an inland waterway, then a girl in the sea near the family home and also involves a brilliant graduate developing brain damage after an accidental fall from a window.

John discovers that the girl who disappeared from Rhodes is the sister of the girl who died in the sea and that she has been visiting and checking on all the friends of the politician. As a result of the research he befriends the receptionist and mistress of one of he friends, a psychiatrist, who they subsequently find murdered and then manage to escape when the home is set on fire and exit doors locked against them. Everything points to the politician until it is realised that the culprit is one of the other friends with whom the politician had a long term gay relationship. The politician disappears Into the Blue after the main secret of this mystery is revealed. The former politician was not the birth son of the wealth inherited from his parents, but a replacement adopted child when the birth son died at the age of two. When the character played by John Thaw was around 10 to 12 years old he discovered an abandoned baby which featured on national TV so there is a tape which before he disappears the former politician gives to John revealing that he was the baby which John had discovered and saved. The former politician had found out what had happened to John hence taking him under his wing, and far from threatening John he had him followed and encouraged his friends to keep him informed because he had become aware that his gay lover was responsible for the deaths and threatening the life of John. The story struck chords. It was time for bed with an early start tomorrow when there is a lot to do

1385 A sporting weekend in May

Yesterday, the Sunday of the Spring Bank Holiday, my priority was getting the Blog writing up to-date and to continue with the quiet purpose created on Saturday. As it became evident that the warm sunshine was also continuing I felt urge twinges or twinge urges to join in among the crowds of families and couples, twosomes and groups of friends, enjoying the holiday good weather in some activity, as here in the north, contrasting with the torrential rain with localised flooding in he midlands and the south, we experienced the birth of summer.

I did go out, briefly, for milk, marge and for what else I do not remember but I knew if I would feel out of place if I just took off on my own without and planning and psychological preparation. I was however in a holiday mood so work remained secondary throughout the day although I did a little.
I watched Lewis Hamilton win the Monaco Grand Prix. I have been to Monaco. It is a fake place full of fake people pretending they are real.

In terms of racing Grand Prix winning Monaco is liking finding the Holy Grail and told you can keep it. Lewis desperately wanted to win, so did his team but Ferrari and their drivers outsmarted and claimed both places at the front of the grid by a fraction of a second. Then rain was forecast which changed everything. Usually Monaco is settled by who is at the front of the grid. It is almost impossible to pass another car unless there is agreement because one is faster than the other and you gain places if the car in front fails. or has an accident, or you have the strategy, or is it tactics, of the right tyres, refuelling, and your pit stops are faultless, thus gaining vital seconds to increase a lead or get ahead of another car.

In such a situation there are only three reasons to come and watch the event. The first is to be seen as being there, similar to the Cannes film festival, another overrated location for those with too much money and time, or on the make and who wish to be noticed. The second is that you are related to one of the driver's; I use the term loosely, or one of the owners, officials and media people, so you are participate in the pre and post event hype and hospitality where you should be able to see the actual race on TV.

The third reason only works if there is rain when the chance of a good smash up increases. Because of safety precautions you are unlikely to witness a driver be killed, not like in the good old days. On Sunday, as the rain torrented Lewis was one of the first cars to hit a barrier and need to enter the pits to replace a tyre. This enabled a quick refuel which meant he could delay changing tyres until the weather cleared. The accident won him the race, although nerve and skill played its part. The result placed him at the top of the driver's championship again.

The Doncaster Rovers beat Leeds to win promotion to the Championship of the football Leagues. Thus Hull is now two leagues above Leeds. This is extraordinary and it will be interesting to see if Mr Ken Bates sticks with his money at Leeds. Back at his former home, the Chelsea Russian fired his manager because he came second in the Premiership and one of his players slipped when he had the chance to win the Champions League Final. Mr Grant will survive with the compensation from his £5 million a year four year contract or whatever it was. The whole business has become obscene but it is a business we depend on much like the arms trade and exploiting immigrants. Rather like Monaco, Wimbledon, the World Cup, the Olympics, Epsom, The Arc etc you need lots of dosh, a helicopter and a chauffer and a minder or two to be part of such occasions and enjoy without the hassle, leaving for something else if the event does not turn out well. Some people use the same approach to their relationships.

I also watched part of an amazing turn of events at the cricket and Monty Panasar scuttled New Zealand out for just over 100 runs, enabling England to win if the batsman played to standard. I no longer go to Test Matches or international one day events unless with the former it is the last day, there are good concessions and the home side appears destined to win, but the result is not certain. The cost is prohibitive and enjoyment speculative. This is why those accepting or paying for hospitality spend the first part of the day at the official reception, drinking a glass of bubbly or two, and then there is the prolonged lunch and afternoon tea reducing the time watching the cricket by half, sometimes behind glass as with football if the weather is unpleasant.
The highlight of the evening was Lost, which did not disappoint the its build as the first of an explosive end of season two parter in which we move towards finding out why only a handful of others manage to get off the island back to their home.

There was a season of Sherlock Holmes (Christopher Lee being Christopher Lee a good guy) and Dr Watson( Patrick McNee being a good Dr Watson) in three hour adventures, none of which I saw in their entirety because of other TV interests.
I enjoyed a salad mixture of herring in tomato sauce and slice olives, sun dried tomato, carrot, sunflower oil etc and then a chunk of roast pork and crackling with a crispy vegetable mixture, some grapes and some ice cream.

I went to bed late, still in a holiday mood. The severe weather conditions were forecast to move further north but only as far a part of Lancashire and Yorkshire. There were reduced prices for the Manchester Test where the weather forecast was cloudy and cold from a fierce wind. There was also the Northumberland Show at Corbridge which sounded a good day out but not for someone on their own. My choice was an important one game at Durham which they had to win to ensure a place in the semi finals of the competition which they won last year at Lords where I had a ticket but did not travel because my mother was admitted to hospital. The game was also not scheduled to begin until 12.00 so it did not matter if I slept on and could also check on what the actual weather was like.

I was able to prepare picnic food and drink, remember the sun tan lotion, but miss-placed the soft sun hat and forgot my pair of light weight binoculars but otherwise was ready to leave about quarter to eleven on what was a hot sunny day sheltered from a fierce sharp north easterly wind. Although I live at the Furtherest point in South Shields from the Durham Cricket ground I get there quicker than the Theatre in Newcastle although the journey involves a couple of extra miles each way. This is because the only part of journey involving stops and starts is the couple miles to get to the two lane dual carriage way of the John Reid Road, to then join in a second dual carriage way which continues after a roundabout to the South Shields spur of the AIM and which joins the Newcastle spur just before the Washington Service Station where there are two Travel Lodges, ideal stopping places for those coming for an overnight stay, as Durham and Sunderland are also equidistant to the south west and to the east. Shortly after the service station the left hand filter is taken to Chester Le Street where the dual carriage way continues directly to the ground involving only a couple of sets of traffic lights and treble of roundabouts. There is comparatively inexpensive park for the day ay at £3.20 and the journey time is less than 30 minutes for the 14 miles. At the Chester Le Street turn off you can one road eastwards to the home of Lambton's where there was a Safari Park or westwards to the impressive Victorian Village and farm complex of the living museum at Beamish.

Although I have not been to all the Cricket grounds of England Durham has one of the best settings and arrangements, set by the river Wear with banks of trees rising to the Lumley Castle Hotel where I have stayed but did not attend the Elizabethan Banquet. The dual carriage continues towards Durham City with Chester le Street Town centre to the right. On the left is the pleasant riverside park where there is sometimes a fair or circus, a steam engine fair, but usually it provides good walking at lunch times. Yesterday however, without the additional seating I choose to explore the ground as it has been developed over the past decade, and where it is always prone to flooding from the river as the ground is adjacent separate by a pleasant bank of grass and trees which has been built up. Here there was an old in door indoor cricket centre which has now been demolished to provide a parking and picnic area for Members cars, and where between the main scoreboard and the northern sight screen stand there room to bring ones own comfy chair next to the boundary board. This area give way to a temporary stand for international matches once or twice a year but for the rest of the season the ground has that friendly and local club feel which is at the heart of English Cricket unlike the concrete grounds of London, Manchester and Birmingham, where for county match days one sits alone among vast areas of emptiness.

Durham has avoided this although between the scoreboard and the new Media centre above the southern wicket end a new concrete stand begins the fixed seating area with now surrounds the rest of the stadium playing area. Behind the Media Stand is the Chester Le Street/Durham multi sport facility comprising the in door cricket centre, the main sports centre building and a new scent centre which all overlook the athletic track and athletics field sports centres, the tennis courts, football pitches and all weather areas for all kinds of sports. The main Durham Pavilion and Members building has doubled in size in terms of length since the ground first opened where the Members first floor restaurant is now half its length and where one can watch the cricket from tables behind glass when the weather is cold early season , early morning or late evenings. At the back of this stand is a pleasant public bistro with a few outside tables, the club shop and box office and other facilities. There is also now a purpose built major health and fitness centre which is used by firms and the public as well as adding to the facilities for the player's and their families.

Cricket unlike football remain a club game in that its members talk to each other, sit in familiar groups and welcome visitors. This was important at Durham because the visitors usually won and the Durham wicket area took some time to settle and get right. In fact Durham players preferred to play away from home for many years as a consequence, that is until the last five years when management and team clicked and Durham produced world class players such as Collingwood the Captain of the England's one day team and Steve Harmison who rose to become one of the world's fastest and top bowlers with a sensational tour of the West Indies He is presently out of form and favour with the English selectors which meant he was playing yesterday and one of the attractions of the day. He did not take a wicket but it was evident that he is on his way back to top class form.

Arriving early I was able to pick my spot, above the bowlers arm, avoiding the last row of the stand where the wind howled through a narrow gap in the support. At the end of an aisle giving plenty of space for legs and my back pack. The crowd was good but it still enabled most of us to sit with a seat gap to the next individual or group. The sun tan was important because it was red hot at times and only as the match drew to a close around 6.30 did the sun hide fully behind the rapidly moving clouds. The game could not have gone better if planned. Durham hit two four off the first two balls and had scored 70 runs in ten overs where 40-50 is the average start for the first 10 of 50 overs. The second wicked was lost with 180 runs on the board, more than the subsequent entire Derbyshire Innings. The opening batsman M.J Di Venuto hit 138 runs highest score ever by a Durham player in this form of completion against Derbyshire and the team scored a total of 298 runs again higher than the previous total which was reached when the total over was 60.

The aspect of the game which I appreciate most was the way the team appeared to be organised and its spirit. The was an effective professional, determined and winning quality about it which was lacking in all my visits until the semi final last year. Although Derbyshire has some quality batsman and looked as if they were going to make more of a match they were held to 44 runs for a couple of wickets in those first 10 overs and it was evident that they would never be able to improve to necessary run rate without taking risks which the new Durham was able to exploit as catches were held and run out stumping. It was an excellent day and chat around me lived up to expectations, while someone with a radio and headphones kept us abreast of England's progress to victory in the first test at Old Trafford and Stockport's win in their final play off. I returned home at seven to a glass of Villa Icona, a South African Red, a small plate of fresh prawns which would have made salad sandwiches had I not run out of bread and the a pork stir fry using a good portion of chopped pork, tout mange and string beans with the rest of a courgette, noodles and a strong portion of chilli sauce

This was enjoyed while watching the Test match highlights and then at 9 the first of the Britain's Got Talent and then the Bertelucci film, the Dreamers both of which I will leave for the next writing, noting now that the day proved to be something of an experience overload which will take another couple of days to recover.