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 17th.
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.
No comments:
Post a Comment