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 7th to 9th 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.
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