Second Ashes Test as Durham win 20 20 at Trent Bridge

I decided to walk to the entrance at the end of the stand where I wanted to sit and where my companion for the match had texted she had arrived and found two seats exactly as wanted. I was able to leave my summer blazer to guard the seat and made the way to the restaurant on the first floor of stand settling for a cool drink on discovering that instead of the excellent cream tea usually provided at that time of the day they were offering a full cooked meal not required having had my main meal at lunchtime. Given that no sandwiches were on offer I settled for a sausage role with onions price £4 or was it 4.50 and on reflection a better decision would have mean the proper meal at the restaurant for a couple of pounds more? Returning to seat just in time for the start of play so there was no opportunity to relax at what had been a hectic day and at times challenging day.

The cricket game was the most close of the season. Nottingham despite without Broad and Swann tied up with the English Squad as contracted players have looked like getting into the last eight automatically by taking one of the two places from the Northern division at the expense of Durham. They are heading their division in the 40 40 as are Durham but have struggled in the Championship with only two wins against the five of Durham and Yorkshire at the top. There was also Notts wish for revenge because Durham had that extraordinary win getting 186 runs in 20 overs in the last 90 minutes to win.

Durham won the toss and asked Notts to bat first and giving the opening overs and the majority of the 20 to the slow bowlers with Onions and Rushworth only three overs each and with Onions getting their only wicket. Smith who opened took two for 20 from four was the best bowler helping to restrict Notts to 159 with Taylor who has been asked by the English selectors to guest for Sussex against the Australians this weekend. He was 65 not out at close of play yesterday July 27^th (2013).

Durham started slowly as Stoneman who has not done well was out for 5 when the total was only 7 and Borthwick went for 7 at 19 and with Smith and Mustard also going when the total was only 44 it looked as if hope of making progress to the Quarterfinals was ending but Stokes with 72 with the help of Breese 32 brought them close and with the local crowd of some 10000 complaining about the lack of slow bowlers the scores were tied with one ball to go and Durham gained the win with the last ball.

I was surprised how quickly a bus came at the end of the match and with as short queue I got a seat for the short journey to central station where the tram presently ends although there is progress with the extension line going south. The line is high above the road at this point so that a new bridge is being created. My journey was to the other end of the line and it was dark on arrival. It was possible to work out a cross country route but in the darkness I felt this was unwise so I made my way the short distance out to the motorway and then up to the first junction and then across to the A 38 attempting to retrace the same route I had taken in the afternoon. However at one point I must have taken the wrong turn and ended up heading to the centre of Mansfield, hence turning into the road leading to the Odeon Cinema/ Indoor Bowling and Sainsbury centre before retracing steps and taking a right turn towards Sutton in Aston and then taking the left turning and coming to the Travel Lodge past the large Hospital complex which recently the Government announced was being placed in special measures because of the statistical evidence of an abnormal and unacceptable death rate.

 

The second Ashes Test between England and Australia was being played at Lords to full houses during the weekend in the Midlands but I was able to keep in touch through a digital radio as well as TV. I had purchased the Digital pocket radio in time for the first Test when I was also watch Durham cricket in live games and in one instances travelling to a game. An odd situation occurred when I could not turn the radio off during the journey back from the visit to Old Trafford and unplugged the chargeable battery. However when I reinserted the battery to recharge I could not switch on although some charging was initially registered. I took the recent purchase back to Argos who ordered another which became available the following afternoon. This no nonsense immediate service is so impressive and commendable.

I will save writing about the Lords Cricket ground for my visit there to watch Durham play Middlesex in the County Championship at the commencement of August. I will mention that for the first time a TV camera was allowed into the Long Room of the Pavilion. This year I will be visiting all the grounds where the Ashes Tests are being played with the visited to the Oval already, one afternoon visit to Old Trafford, the evening visit to Trent Bridge and the rest of the season watching Durham at the Emirates ground. In addition I shall be visiting Derby for the first time and returning to Hove as well as a visit to Edgbaston for the 20 20 finals and back to Lords for the 40 40 and for hopefully the Durham semi final in this competition. There is the crucial championship game at Scarborough making my second visit to this ground in the year, a magnificent total of 25 days watching cricket at 9 county grounds this year if Durham is included, an all time likely never to be repeated record.

In the second England won the toss and decided to bat losing three wickets for 27 runs and the bubble of the first Test appeared to have been well and truly burst, Trott 58 was joined by Bell who again saved the day with an innings of 109. He was supported by Bairstow 67 and later by a fine stand between Broad and Swann. Nevertheless on a good wicket the total of 361 was considered under par for a match of this importance. We were worried? We should not have been.

Although the Australian openers were able to get 42 runs on the board before the first wicket what happened next is something of a disgrace, hee hee, for Australia, Oh dear me for the wickets fell at 50 53 69 86 91 96 104 and 104 for 9. Were we going to witness another heroic stand, well no, we were not and the Aussi’s were all out for 128 and England was entitled to enforce the follow on. The decision not to do so was taken for cricketing reasons but also I suspect because tickets for all five days has been sold.

I have seen what Joe Root can do when he scored half the runs needed for Yorkshire to beat Durham at the Emirates Durham. But his elevation to open for England after good performances in the middle order had not been inspiring. Now he not only scored his first century adding his name to all those who have done so before in the team locker room but went on to make 186, failing to get a double century the following morning when it was evident the Australians tactics to try and limit the time available for their defeat. He was assisted by Bell again with 74. England declared at 349 and the opposition had almost two days to get over 600 runs to win. They made 235 all out just before the end of fourth day. Graham Swann took four and then five wickets with match figures of 9 for 98. England were two up in the series and Australia had to win all three Tests remaining to reclaim the Ashes, and on this showing there was no chance. Given the wins in the Rugby Union Lions, Andy Murray at Wimbledon and Froom in the Tour De France one could also look forward to the World Athletics and swimming Championships, The Rugby League Challenge Cup and perhaps even the football where the season begins to get under way

　

 

First Test win as Durham have mixed fortunes

The middle weekend of July 2013 did not become as magical as it promised although the sun was hot and prolonged and Durham had an impressive win, the second against Yorkshire in the 20 20 competition on the Friday evening, The ground at the Emirates was as full as I have seen it at a 20 20 or any other form of cricket except the Internationals with over 7000 said to have attended. This was only in part because of the free admission available to the membership as part of the annual charge. There was a small section of play things for young children to be entertained as well as more food and drink concession sellers than usual. There also appeared to be a packed balcony in the sponsors areas.

The members lounge again was restricted until 5.30 because of a conference letting but there was free coffee or tea available at the immediate entrance but it was not the sort of day for a hot drink and at the interval I enjoyed an orange fruit juice from the machine in the local sports club for £1.50. I commenced to watch the game from the upper balcony overlooking the wicket, the same as for the previous home game in this competition but removed to the lower and sheltered tier to avoid the sun.

There was more razzamatazz than usual beforehand with around 100 primary school children in a cricket competition bowling at a single stump and a second group also from a range of schools with red and blue pom poms as cheerleaders. I assumed their parents/families and been invited to watch. I cannot remember if they or others formed the regular guard of honour dressed in whites and with impressive prolonged ground fire works from the mobile safety containers which filled the air was full of sulphuric smoke.

As if to match the size of the crowd Durham had a spectacular win after the Colonel made 91 out of a total of 145 for the second wicket with Durham going on to make 215 with Yorkshire never at the races despite an excellent 68 from Gary Ballance. Sidebottom showed his class with only giving away 28 runs from his four overs. Rushworth was the best of the Durham bowlers with 2 for 13 from his four as the visitors could only make 134 for 8 from their 20 overs. It was a great win and gave hope that if Durham won all their remaining matches they might make the quarterfinals as a runner up in their division. A visit to Old Trafford on Sunday and then to Trent Bridge and Derbyshire’s ground at Chesterfield the following weekend would continue ambitions leaving the last two games at home against Derbyshire and Leicestershire exciting or no events.

At the match on the Friday evening I used the radio to keep abreast of the first Test Match before closure of play and which had commenced on the Wednesday on the Wednesday and was now into its third eventful day. I could not find the radio later and considered going back to the ground in the morning. Although I been to the supermarket I had left my jacket with the radio in the car. The following morning before departing I checked one long shot possibility from all the searching of car and my jacket. For once I was right. Phew although this is not the end of the story regarding the digital pocket radio. Parking had cost only £1.50 which led to misleading one visitor saying it would be £2.50, that charged for the afternoon games. 

 

On Saturday evening I prepared for my trip to Old Trafford Manchester with the Durham supporters club. There was an earlier start the following morning than the trip to Scarborough although we were provided with a small coach because the numbers were down, but I suspect because the full size coaches were being used for other trips with the good weather. Fortunately I was again able to have a double seat for myself. I had drank coffee in the car on arrival and enjoyed a baguette with pate and olives and some water before departing the coach so I did not need to take the haversack with me into the ground. There was a second baguette with cheese and pickle for the homeward trip plus some large cherries.

I have come to know and enjoy the route down to the M62 and over the Pennines which commenced forty years ago when I first came to the North East from Cheshire. Subsequently I taken the route on visits to Manchester, Chester and Liverpool, sometimes to watch Football at Old Trafford and the City ground , old and new, occasionally to watch Durham at Old Trafford and more recently when the game was played in Liverpool. I also made one visit to recapture my two visits in the 1960’s working with the Family Service Unit Salford and the with the City of Manchester Children’s department. I also spent a few days in the Wirral visiting where I lived temporarily in the City and then at Bromborough as well my former workplace and county Hall as well as Dee Riverside and around the City Walls.

Today as the sun burnt through the cloud there was opportunity to enjoy the views listening to the Test before arrival outside the ground just around 1 pm with an early start at 1.45, The sun had come out and was burning hot so my first thought was to find somewhere out of the sun. I have not visited the county cricket ground for several years and have little memory of what it was like before the wicket was turned around and the various developments to the spectator accommodation had taken place.

I have very mixed reaction to what has happened. The main consequence of the change is that the Pavilion now overlooks the wicket although the upper areas have been converted to viewing boxes and balconies for the Committee and hospitality, There is only member viewing over the sight screens from the two lounges at either side of the pavilion which do include two large TV screens. The veranda outside the first floor level is for the disabled and their helpers and this is a positive feature giving them premium viewing. The bar and foods purchasing areas, together with the toilets are luxury level. The main reception is hotel standard with good lifts. The main seating for membership and visitors is to the side of the pavilion and these are luxury seats strong, comfortable, smart looking and with a good space between each seat and good leg room and those at the back offering a good level above fielders but not high enough to be over the wickets, There is a premium level of seating above as well as hospitality areas.

At the end of the ground in a central position over the wicket is the media centre and the players balcony and dressing rooms. They are still creating a vast bank of seating to one side over looking the field of play and I doubted if this would ready for the third Test at the commencement of August unless they were also using the kind of Mechano assembly seating used at Durham. Because of the heat and the limited between arrival and the start of play I did not make a full circuit of the ground as is my custom but made my way to a good seat at the back of the Members seating area close to the edge of the sight screen. While the space around the stands is substantial and one is able to enter this space on foot before having a ticket check it lacks the enclosed atmosphere of grounds such as Lords, the Oval, Headingley and I suspect Edgbaston although I have not visited since the recent changes,

My ticket had been printed out at home and this appears to be the position at major grounds where there is the use of the hand held bar code machines which can also be used for the pass out. At Scarborough I had taken a seat to find a Durham supporter behind me and in this instance I was joined by someone who had travelled on the coach and then discovered that his view of the one working scoreboard was impeded and moved seating.

Lancashire won the toss and decided to bat with an impressive use of the opening overs to create what quickly became evident when the Durham innings commenced was an unassailable lead. As at the Riverside it was one opener, in this instance Brown, who dominated making 62 out of 85 before he was out but then Katich, who once played for Durham acted as anchor with 40 at the close while four other wickets fell. With a total of 170 when 200 had seemed likely early on, I did not give up hope of a repeat at what happened at Scarborough when Durham after a slow start built up momentum to take the match in the last over, In this instance it was Borthwick who appeared to have command of the bowlers but his 62 from 51 was not enough and at the close Durham were 25 runs short. It would take four wins from their last four games with the first two away from home for Durham to have any hope of quarter final qualification and even then only an outside chance of making the quarterfinals, The journey home was muted.

The Lancashire club is also sponsored by the Emirates airlines who look as if they will at least have some return on their investment after two years which has seen Durham without reaching a final, or high league position and Lancashire relegated, although like Durham they did win the County Championship. Immediately after Durham’s double success.

The disappointment was lessened by the excellent news from Trent Bridge as England were successful in removing the last Australian wickets to take the first of ten Tests. Five here and five in Aussiland. England had commenced the Test all out for 215 in 59 overs having won the toss and electing to bat, The last four wickets had produced only 2 runs and no player had got more than 48 runs with Petersen a disappointing 14. Australia had initially fared no better losing nine wickets for 177 and a significant lead was anticipated, Australia had caused controversy by selecting as their primary slow bowler a nineteen year old who had only a played a few games at senior level. This young lad called Agar had bowled reasonable well yielding only 24 runs for his seven overs but without claiming a wicket. His destiny was to be his batting as number 11 he was last when 98 from 101 balls and with Hughes not out 81 they had added a record 163 making a total of 280.

With Root and then Trott out with the total only 11 those who had taunted 10 0 were being quickly silenced. Cook 50 followed by Petersen 64 and then heroically Bell 109 supported by Prior 31 and Broad 68 achieved a total of 375 leaving Australia to get 310 and all the time in the world to do so.

After a good start with the first wicket coming at 84 the wickets came in groups with three between 161 and 165 and the 7^th to 9^th between 211 and 231, some 80 runs short so a victory appeared only a matter of time but in this instance it was Pattison not out with 25 from 67 minutes and Haddin 71 from 231 minutes who came close losing by only 14 runs. James Anderson was the English hero with 5 for 73 to add to his 5 for 85 10 for 158 overall. Broad has a badly bruised shoulder after being hit by the ball while Finn to had taken the place of Bressnan failed to impress nor had Joe Root with only 5 to add to his first Ashes Test score of 30. In one respect the game was lost by the Australian Captain deciding to call for a review when a batsman was out and then not being able to review when the umpire gave Broad not out after he failed to walk when caught off his bat. Although the match was an exciting one England looked poor at the top and Australia just looked poor, the heroic effort of young Ager notwithstanding.

It was a great weekend in tropical heat but it could have been magical.

The Andy Murray story so far

I was pleasantly tired after an emotionally exhausting day watching through television Andy Murray become the first male champion of the All England Wimbledon tennis club for the first time in 77 years on the 7^th day of the 7^th month, Then yesterday evening after a day basking in warmth and then the heat in what may have become for the UK High summer I watched an equally emotional documentary about the young man who in the space of twelve months has self fulfilled and justified all the effort required to become Olympic and US Champion to add to the ultimate achievement of the Home of Tennis championship.

According to the documentary his maternal grandfather played professional football and his mother also a former professional tennis player, is now leading member of the Scottish coaching and tennis development team but from an early age it was his determination to win and hatred of losing which became the driving force with led him at fifteen to press his parents to be allowed to join an established and recognised international training and development centre in Spain where he could practice against the best of age group, and which has similarly led him to spend time in Miami each year where is again able to practice against players of quality as well as train and improve his fitness in a warm clime.

However it also can be argued that the event which has had the greatest impact on his life and that of his family, particularly his mother is that both her boys attended the Dunblane Primary school when a local man entered the school gym and shot sixteen children and one teacher. She had the experience of going to the school to find out if both her boys were safe and then sharing in the grief of those parents whose children had not. She had given lifts to the murderer, a man who had run a youth club attended by Andy. Understandably both find it difficult to impossible to talk to about what happened although it was evident that both are contributing to their community and to ensure that the town is known for something more than the shootings.

Reading through the statistics of his progress as a tennis player fails to communicate the work that has been involved and which could be termed self torture from 10 minute ice baths to using a device which is a kind of restraint which he has to push against in order to strike at a ball away from him and which is designed to increase his mobility.

He has also been one of those leading the approach of employing a full team of specialists from a training partner who he met in Spain and remains associated for the past 11 years, to a masseur, a fitness coach, a dietician and a tennis coach which he has changed over the past five years several times and it with the recruitment of Ivan Lendl a major championship winner but also someone with the experience of losing several times in major finals. He convinced Murray that he is good enough to be at the top and win championships and to move on from points badly played, lost, unfair decision to concentrating on the next point to be played.

Murray commenced to play completive tennis from an early age wining a significant competition at the age of 12 and then winning prestigious competitions in Scotland and in July 2004 age 17 he played and lost to the French rising young man Jo Wilfried Tsonga in the second round. He went on to win the US Junior open in the same year and became the BBC Young Sports personality of the year reaching number two in the world as a junior.

In 2005 he was ranked 407 in professional list of male rankings. And eight years later he is number 2 with every possibility of moving to number 1, should be become successful in defending his US tile in a month and then win the Australian in the New Year. Ranked only 312 he became the first Scots born individual to reach the third round at Wimbledon and by the end of 2005 was ranked in the top hundred at 64. It was not until five years ago that he reached the quarter finals at Wimbledon

He lost to Djokovic in the final of the Australian grand slam on three straight steps. After beating his rival in the final of an event in Brisbane in 2012 he lost to him in a semi final in the Australian Open. He had reached number four in the world behind Federer, Nadal and Djokovic but it is over the past year that he approached greatness first with defeat in the men’s single’s final against Federer at Wimbledon where he won the first set but then could not counter the skill and determination of his opponent and was emotionally shattered after his defeat before the tennis world and the British public generally. In that final the crowd were reluctant to roar him to success because of their respect and admiration for Federer.

It was a different story at the Olympic Games where he won the final defeating Djokovic in the semi final and Federer in the final and then getting a silver medal in the mixed doubles with Laura Robson. He then went to New York and won the open Championship the first British man to win any of the four major championships in the world for over 70 years.

An injury prevented participation in the French open a month before Wimbledon and proved a blessing in disguise enabling him to combine rehabilitation of the injury with preparation for what was to prove the great event of his life and likely to remain so in terms of his tennis life. He won the domestic warm up competition in grass at Queen’s club. His opening games in the Wimbledon 2013 men’s single events appeared comparatively trouble free and the early departures of Nadal and Federer removed potential major obstacles although the committee had seeded him second to Djokovic representing their world tennis rankings. He then had a major wobble in the quarter final losing the first two sets but fighting back in an exhausting contest to win 3.2 and seasoned watchers had the feeling that time he was not to be denied. It was his opponent to be who then had an extraordinary five hour contest in the semi final with other seasoned followers commented that Djokovic would recover and be in the form which had made his reach and remain in the number one position for the past two years.

If one simply reads the broad stats of the final Murray could appear to have won easily in his three set to love victory. However he was down 4.1 in the second set before breaking back and similarly lost a break in service in the third only to regain the initiative and serve for the title 5. 4 ahead in the third. He then won his first three service points and the nation gathered itself to let out a roar of relief but the Djokovic demonstrated why he is number with, not only getting the next three points but gaining the advantage to come with a point of squaring the match not one or twice but three and may indeed have been four times with Murray looking dazed and Djokovic having a wicked smile on his face knowing that Murray looked spent and that if he prevented defeat in the game he might well accomplish what seemed impossible to take the set and the next two with Murray deflated and going to tennis pieces at having coming so close but proving yet again unable to take that next step,

However it was not to be, Murray saved the break back point and went on to take the match with national joy unparalleled, I think since the World Cup was won with only regaining the Ashes and magic Saturday evening at the Olympic games coming close. Murray looked dazed almost shocked by the outcome and I suspect he still is yet to come to terms with becoming an immortal in his lifetime, with a title and a national role for the asking. However he is unlikely to stop the treadmill he has created for himself with winning Slams, defending his title in New York and winning sometime the Australian and the French, defending Wimbledon for the next three to five seasons and becoming the World’s rated number one player all realistic targets, he wants and with all the indications that he does. On Monday afternoon he was welcomed by the Prime Minister at number 10 taken into the garden for champagne with the Deputy PM, Leader of the Opposition and Leader for the Scottish Nationalists at Westminster.

As when an Englishman won the Toru De France and the successes at the Olympics there is immediate tennis talk of Legacy and what his victory could mean for the future of the sport. For my own part it was a privilege to be alive to witness the event and I hope he takers time to enjoy the experiences with his friends and his family. I suspect he will not let up on the drive to continue winning but he will enjoy the playing that much more, knowing what he is now capable of doing and fearing no one, Nadal perhaps on clay and the next young man or so setting their sight on getting to where he is, although I would be surprised if that is a Britishman. Laura Robson for the women’s title, maybe.

Durham at Scarborough, Laura and Andy at Wimbledon, Mo Farah and Jessica Judd move on to Birmingham

On Friday I was apprehensive about play given the quantity of water that had fallen but there was no delay and with the sun shinning as the game progressed. Durham won the toss and decided on a run chase but Lancs played well on what appeared to be a good paced and comfortable wicket with the ball holding up along the ground from the water so Lancs went for high shots over the required infield avoiding the fielders allowed at the boundary.

The main damage was done by opener Moore who made 75 before being run out by Stokes with opener Prince 32 and adding 777 for the first wicket and then with Katich who once played for Durham, adding 68 for the third wicket with the innings ending at 165 , kept lower than first expected by some tight bowling at the end. Durham commenced in a great way scoring 10 an over but then Stoneman ran himself out for 33 and Mustard was out with adding to the total 53 so when Borthwick went at 60 the run rate dipped and then dropped below that achieved by Lancs and they never recovered with no batsman able to take command and they ended nine runs short with two wickets in hand. I left with two overs to go and had I not been on a coach trip I may well have taken a similar decision at Scarborough.

On Sunday I arrived at the Emirates in good time for the 10.30 coach and had opportunity to examine the complete new Mechano style stand judging that where the pathway had been relaid marked the part that would kept, I assume with the additional seating packed under the remainder for use in other special matches. The seats are an attractive deep blue but there appeared to have been no progress of the previous week. This is because a new two tier prefabricated has been created between the media centre and the main stand extension. This might well prove a permanent structure..

The coach had about ten passengers located at the rear and then made three stops in and around Durham before collecting two more at Darlington and this part of the journey took three quarters of an hour as we did not depart from the Riverside until 10.45 arriving in the main road outside the ground just after one.

I have previously enjoyed the route across the North Yorkshire Moors to Whitby, Robin Hood bay and Scarborough, especially remembered is the journey taken early one morning when I had attended a dinner with over night accommodation as guests of the Social Services Inspectorate and decided to get back to my office desk at the usual time missing the provided cooked breakfast, leaving the staff to recover from their night out clubbing. The coach took the road which runs at the outskirts of Whitby giving a dramatic view of the town straddling both sides of the river Esk with the Abbey Church of St Mary on the southern bank.

I was impressed with the Scarborough ground in two respects, he quality of the wicket and out field was as good as seen anywhere tribute to the weather earlier in the year and that it was possible to get a seat higher than the sight screen just to its right and therefore directly over the wicket which leads me to exclaim shame on Durham in this respect. There is a good range of seating provided, including a large area of benches without backs below the entrance area giving a side on view and with the tea room and ice creams, burgers etc and adopted by the local barmy army as well as families. I was impressed by the number of paying customers and this leads to another tale as having purchased my ticket on line it was left at home and+ I had to purchased entry at the gate and then lost the little ticket given when means that I am unlikely to get reimbursement although I will be asking when this writing is done to see i I can get a credit for my ticket for the Championship game at the end fo August.

I assumed that the Pavilion is restricted to Members of the Scarborough club and on the walk around note the tradition under stand bar which did a great trade throughout the match which what looked like a good fifteen plus with queue which meant those in the line missed key moments of the short match.

Durham won the toss and asked Yorkshire to bat with Gayle and Lythe scoring well in the restricted field overs 34 and 21 respectively but then Durham tightened up and the local crowd became quiet with some around me frustrated as like Durham,, Yorkshire had lost their first game and were anxious for a win. Only spirited innings but former Durham player Liam Plunkett (30) run out in a daft way enabled Yorks to reach 146 and therefore leaving Durham with a gettable 147.

However pessimism spread among the large contingent of Durham supporters who had made their way to the ground especially as Durham were restricted to 10 batsmen as Collingwood had damaged his hand and was away being treated, I have yet to find out how he is and if he will be able play in the two 20 20 games this weekend. Durham had a bad start with Stonman going for 4 Borthwick at 25 and Smith and Stokes and 64 and 65. The start was worryingly slow with only 23 runs on the board from the first five overs. Only the Colonel making steady progress brought hope until he went from a catch off the bowling of Plunkett for 49. The hero was Gordon Muchall and 44 who with Richardson hitting a four off his first ball in the last over with only 9 runs originally required got the 1 run need for victory with the penultimate ball and Durham won an unexpected but important victory, having already booked my ticket, accommodation and car parking for finals day on August 17^th.

On Monday night Nottingham beat Lancashire in their second match which pleased me however I wanted Lancs to win on Tuesday at Derby because the home side had achieved two out of two win and a lost would mean both sides having four points from three games enabling Durham to get in touch with another win at 3.75 points to their four and then press head when they next play them with Derby at the Emirates before I visit them at Chesterfield later in the month and going to Lancs in two week’s time. Unfortunately Shiv Chanderpaul who seems to stay only at a club a season, last season Warwickshire and Durham in their Championship winning rout was his impressive form hitting sixes and fours watching every ball as her does with great concentration. Now with two loses Lancs will be on fire when we go while Derby floundering in the championship and destined to return to the second division as things stand have three from three and begin to look a good bet for the quarter finals.

I listened to Mo Farah winning the 5000 meters at the Birmingham Athletics stadium and later watched the I player recording which included another great win for Jessica Judd in the 800 meters and whose time qualifies for the world championships in Moscow. I listened to the Formula I race from Silverstone until Lewis Hamilton had to drop out with tyre failure and managed to get his way back from last to fourth. We were robbed.

It was the British Swimming championships at Sheffield this weekend and I listened to some of the racing on the homeward journey. This is the era without Rebecca Adlington but she has a new role with commentating, coaching and personal appearances to keep her busy and involved in the sport suggesting her had a long term future in media and the sport ahead of her, as well as marriage having recently become engaged to another swimming athlete. There were some excellent times which suggests recovery from the poor showing at he Olympics London which has led to changes in team management and coaching.

I have been writing to this keeping one eye on the TV screen where England are 154 1, Cook 73 and Trott 47 with the only wicket that of Root 26 on top of his 41 first innings which makes is move to opener replacing Compton not as great as success as was hoped for by selectors. England struggles in their first innings rescued after they were only 212 for 8 by Bresnan 105 and Swann 94 making a more respectable 413 for 9 declared. Essex also made a respectable 278 with Mickleborough 90 and where the best bowler was none other than Joe Root with 4 for 72 off 23. Graham Onions was unable seize his return to an England first squad with 1 for 54 off 18 main squad and will have to do better to replace the present top five pacemen. I will report what happens in the rest of the game next weekend.

The story of Wimbledon 2013 will not be completed until next Sunday and if all goes well tomorrow and Friday I will be face with the choice of a Durham’s next 20 20 game and Andy Murray at Wimbledon. I have checked at Durham’s game against Notts in on Saturday and on TV so all is well if Andy Murray makes it again he has been impressive so far with only near to losing a set yesterday to make the quarterfinal tomorrow. With Roger Federer going out and been more of a surprise Nadal in the first round a Murray seeded 2 and Djorkovic (1) final remains a great possibility. There is no indications whether the BBC will broadcast in 3D as last year and with TV Cinema transmissions which suggests it is not doing so.

There could well have been a conflict with Durham games had young teenage Laura Robson who had got off to a flying get everyone talking start by beating the number ten seed in two sets and on paper a good chance of reaching the quarter finals. Because of rain she had a harder game second round game on Thursday where she hesitated in the first set but winning 64 and then taking the second 61 to get herself on the front as well as back pages especially as. Everyone else in the singles doubles for both sexes and mixed doubles from team GB were going down apart from Andy. This meant she had to play a young woman from New Zealand on the Saturday losing the first set 6 games to 1 and then with a lost break of serve appearing to go down in the second so I switched off only to get a text message saying how about that then and to find that she had come back to take the second and then win the third and given the manner of her victory she immediately became the latest national heroine. Sadly yesterday she and two chances to take first set but failed to close out and then lost on the tie break and failed to recover. With a number of leading contenders going out the door was open all the way to the final. Oh dear me.