Durham lose importand 40 40 game at Derby August 2013.

 At Derby Chaddesden after checking in and sorting the clothing, the sleep Apnoea machine and my food for the evening, a baguette with paté and olives I made my way to the roundabout and then took the wrong turning going down a road parallel to that I wanted and having a great ring around the roses to get back to the roundabout and this time talking the right turning and getting into the right lane for the ground with the other for the Virgin leisure centre and with the large Days in further back, I think I must have gone past the entrance when I took the wrong road. I was shepherded round to where stewards were taking cash or checking parking tickets £4 and placed me on the from row of the over flow with not a clear indication of how I was to get out later. I and already purchased by entrance ticket at £12

Derby, like Northants, is not a well appointed ground, functional one can say at best although with many good features such as a huge stand overlooking the wicket. To the left was a large strange building which has two functions. On the first and second levels there is hospitality and banqueting facilities. There is an indoor sports hall at ground or was it basement level with a martial arts programme underway. There were good toilets and a club shop. There appears to be a separate entrance from housing and a car park. Further around to one side and overlooking the wicket is the Members pavilion, functional, two storeys with a lounge offering what appears a good choice of main dishes, cheaper than Durham but with space less than half that of Durham and small veranda proving space for a single row of movable seating. There was room for the committee at the far end and the players pavilion next to this. There was another eatery providing sausages beans, eggs chips sandwiches and drinks all day at reasonable prices and a separate tea room. The selling of beer did not appear to be regarded as a major activity. The other side of the sight screen there was a fair size marquee pavilion providing some reward scheme, could be volunteers related to the club or community volunteering in general.

There was the hint of rain, and some rain throughout he evening although the match was able to progress its disastrous way from the Durham viewpoint. Durham won the toss and asked Derby to bat and at first things went well with Derby losing wickets at 17, 35 and 36 but then a stand between Madsen 72 and Hughes 73 sealed Durham’s fate although things were made worse by an over from Rushworth towards the end which yielded 20 runs giving him 1 for 39, Breeze 0 for 32 from his 5 was expensive leaving Collingwood who impressed with 2 for 25 from his eight the best of the bowlers and followed by Pringle 1 for 12 from 5 with Wood 2 for 32, Borthwick 0 for 18 and Smith 2.19. The total of 217 for 8 from the 40 appeared to give Durham a steady and gettable target.

However losing their first wicket at 4 with Mustard and then Borthwick at 14 shook Durham and they never recovered, with only Collinwood appearing to get a start until he gave a soft catch when 25 and you felt it was all over. Durham then collapse all out at 110 with the last wicket going in the same over at the 9^th as I was making my way back to the car. Another car was leaving so waited to see which way it went and it headed along a grass and earth track along the fence which proved a nightmare full of deep rut it did my suspension no good at all even tough I went as slowly as possible. I went back to the comfort of my room, the four pillows and flat screen TV and the huge consolation breakfast in the morning.

In the first group of the competition the battle for leader is between Notts 16 points who missed out on 20 20 finals day and Northants 15 with game to play while in the third group the battle is between Somerset who also missed out and Gloucestershire, another club I must visit one year at Bristol both with 15 and one to play and Glamorgan with 13 but two to play.

In Durham’s group Hampshire, surprise surprise 16 points and two to play look certain to take the semi final spot but with Lancs 13 and two to play looking for the 4^th spot. My estimate is that only Hants will go through from this group so again the semi finals and finals could again be dominated by Southern clubs.

Lancs could do themselves a favour by beating Hants on Tuesday evening on Sky and Derby could create a surprise if they beat Hants bank holiday Monday with Lancs to beat Essex at Old Trafford to complete the unexpected and get there 17 points to 16. Durham had they won and win against the Surrey in their remaining match would have come second with 16.75 points, the fined 2.25 points behind Lancs who impressed me with their two wins over Durham. Notts and Northants are both away for their last games. Gloucestershire play Somerset in their final game which makes it the tie of the final day. Glamorgan are at home on Sunday and then away to Yorkshire the following will find that game difficult. I am watching Worcestershire at Edgbaston and Moeen Ali has scored 114 in their penultimate 40 40 game but with 300 a good possibility for their innings they are collapsing to 255 for 5 at present but still creating a target Warwickshire are unlikely to beat,

I will keep an eye on this game as I turn channels to watch Newcastle play their first game of the new season at Manchester City and their new manager. Yesterday on returning home I watched Chelsea with their homecoming manager beat Hull while Spurs appeared to have more of a challenge away at the Palace back in the big time with Ian Holloway. Sunderland lost by 1.0 at home to Fulham.

This afternoon I watched the highlights of the last day of the Sonheim Cup, the golf competition for ladies between the USA and Europe, played in alternative years to the Ryder Cup and where Europe who hold the cup then won on USA soil for the first time and featuring the youngest ever European player, Captain’s pick Charley Hull who won her singles on the last day as well as one of the two foursomes in which she played, Europe won the match by 18 points to 10 and could be said to have given the USA a trouncing.