Usually by the second week of October I am fully engaged in my ongoing contemporary artwork project, the autumn party political season and my other cultural interests with the start of the Newcastle University open lectures and concerts season, the Opera and Theatre cinema live relays as well as the start of the showing of films in theatres for Christmas and the subsequent awards season and in terms of sport having switched fully back into the latest crisis at Sunderland and Newcastle football clubs and the USA AFL.
This was to have been a quick report on Durham winning the County Championship 2013, my visit to the 40 over Final at Lords and to Hove for the last game of season against Sussex, who have also won the County Championship three times, in the last decade. Because of speculation about the future of individual players and the club generally, a new format of one day competition games for next season and various award ceremonies, I have decided to begin with the future although I still continue to bask in that warm glow of the third First division County championship within six years when Durham beat Nottinghamshire for the second time this season and with one game to spare.
Having watched Surrey win seven successive championships in my youth and having experienced the humiliating defeats of Durham at the Oval in those first seasons, I never expected the club win the championship once in my lifetime with the icing the win at Surrey I was also fortunate to witness. My concerns are about aspects of the club’s present approach should be understood in the context of having been able to watch Durham at home and away as much if not more than most other supporters throughout the past 21 years. I have seen them play at Surrey, Middlesex, Kent, Essex, Hampshire, Derby, Northants, Nottinghamshire Leicestershire, Worcester, Warwickshire, Lancashire and Yorkshire grounds and plan to visit the remaining first class counties over the next three years whether Durham is playing or not.
Despite the win I believe the team could struggle next year in the LV Championship, as happened to Sussex and Lancashire recently, unless the same spirit and application is continued and which in my judgement is dependent on the captaincy of Paul Collingwood.
(Other teams are strengthening although with the departure of Surrey back to the second Division the former big four clubs of my youth, Lancashire, Yorkshire, Surrey and Middlesex have not been together in the top division for perhaps a decade, but the other great Test playing grounds of Warwickshire and Nottinghamshire remain, leaving only newly promoted Northants and the changing fortunes Somerset as the two most likely teams to struggle in 2014, but having said this I do not anticipate Northants will perform as badly as Derby who have immediately gone back down and which suggests that Durham could struggle if they do not match this year’s consistent performances after their unpromising start this season.
I anticipate Surrey, Derby, new Test ground Hampshire and Essex will challenge for promotion with Leicestershire, Kent, Glamorgan, Gloucestershire and Worcestershire playing for the love of the game.
My main theme is that on and off the field Durham is a team in transition.
It is extraordinary that of those first two championship winning sides only the Colonel, Graham Onions and Mark Stonman remain as certain members of the first team squad as Paul Collingwood only played 2 Championship games in that first season win and none in the second. He looked embarrassed at the photo shoot Trophy presentation at the Riverside for that first win and was overheard to say that he had been told to be present. Given his record of five wins from seven games last season since taking over as captain with the narrow loss at Arundel and the draw at the awful Aigburth ground in Liverpool, that he has followed up with ten wins this season, demonstrates the extent of his influence and the need for him to captain throughout next season and beyond if he can be persuaded.
At the moment Dale Benkenstein, who played such a vital part in both championship wins also remains in the squad but not his partner in getting over 1000 every season, the opening batsman Michael Di Venuto. Dale has returned to South Africa for a shoulder operation and recovery after his wife had returned with the children because of the reported illness of her mother. Interestingly while we were told that he was expected to be fit to play at the start of next season, the speaker did not confirm that this would be with Durham although he is said to have a year on his contract. Ian Blackwell also departed retired..
In fairness to Steve Harmison whose retirement has been announced he contributed to the previous championship wins but he has rarely appeared in any form of the game in the last three years and his brother, now with Kent, also participated. It is also ironic and that Mitch Claydon was crucial to the win at Yorkshire having been called back from his loan at Kent with a 2 year contract there from next season. Mark Davies whose injuries cost him England potential was also at Kent but again injured.
Will Smith now also has three Championship medals and one of these from when he was captain for the second win where the club remained undefeated. It was said authoritatively that he, Breeze and Muchall were told they were in competition to stay on at the club and Martin Emerson did comment that he thought Will had played his last innings at Hove although the announcement has only been made this week by the club that he has not been offered a new contract. However according to the BBC he is going to Hants to strengthen their top order
Who will replace him unless Dale Beckenstein is to return at fourth in the order Borthwick moving up to three?
It has also been confirmed that Callum Thorp has not been offered a new contract but Gordon Muchall and Gareth Breeze, players who have made important contributions to Durham over many seasons, are to continue for one or two seasons more despite being told at the Forum that both were taking jobs in cricket in the Durham area although a source did tell me that both were also staying on to participate in the one day competitions when needed.
Liam Plunkett appears to have established himself at Yorkshire playing regularly for the first team something he was not doing in recent seasons at Durham.
Some indication of the way the club is planning and thinking was revealed in the belated interview of the Chief Executive broadcast on Five Live Extra on the second day of the game against Notts. Because Five Live were covering the game. The Chief Executive was supposed to be interviewed at lunchtime on the first day and where he did not appear he was looked for but no explanation was subsequently given and was followed with what I assumed was a recorded in advance interview on the second day.
The Chief Executive explained that his role had changed to that of Group Chief Executive with the appointment of Richard Dowson as Chief Operating Manger. The Chief Executive had taken up the opportunity of buying into a business which interested him and led to his changed role at the Club. I hope I have understood this accurately. I also hope this will work although given the challenges ahead there is need for a strong individual with financial acumen to keep the club soundly based and progressing as the world of International and Domestic cricket attempts to make rapid progress in terms of widening involvements and matching commercial success.
Certainly Durham as a club got off to a very bad start what is now last season with the fiasco of dividing the members lounge creating a doorway which was dangerous in terms of health and safety and then cramming the main area with tables which prevented those with disabilities, especially in wheel chairs from gaining access. The next attempt was to provide a waiter sit down service at 1pm which angered those used to eating around noon. I advised the Front of House manager about the health and safety risk and the threat of legal action by Disabled members and the extra tables and partition was immediately removed. I did not object to the wipe clean green table cloths but some seasoned members did and these were also changed.
The next interesting development at the club appears to be wanting to change its relationship with ordinary members and our facilities, banishing us twice to the first floor facility and balcony of the new extension to the pavilion with the bribe of free coffee although this was limited to one hour on the second occasion when the club provided space for a dinner for the Bunbury’s who were playing at Durham, University Racecourse ground. This was great PR for the club but again angered some seasoned members. In the other instance there was a school Prom. Why in both instances this could not have organised when the team was playing away is surprising! I missed the opportunity to have a full explore of the upper level of the new extension but assuming I will not win the Euro lottery to pay for a new Members Pavilion such as Lords, the Oval or Nottingham and the club do not proceed with their plan for the development of the Lumley end there is a case for turning the new extension fully over to members and converting the present member’s lounge and dining area into a conference and event facility for private hire.
The ground floor of the extension would become the dinning room for breakfasts, lunches and sit down tea with the bar opened only at lunch times. The first floor facility would be the all day bar, sandwiches, snacks and for eat in with viewing facilities for the disabled behind glass. I assume there is a facility at the top behind the seating which could also be used for eat in. There would then be two levels of balcony viewing for members increasing the number of seats available as well as providing overhead cover as of now with though first level.
The main statement by the Chief Executive which interested was his reference to the continuity achieved by the so called Liverpool boot room and this brings me to the future position of Cricket Coach Geoff Cooke who suffered a heart attack during the season. Geoff has been the backbone of the club throughout its existence and unless he had been medically recommended to immediately step down I hope he will continue in his present role for at least another season, if only to see how he goes.
Acting Chief coach Jonathan Lewis appears to have undertake the role well and leaving aside the gossip about the position of Dale Beckenstein, there is only one man who should take over the role when Geoff steps down and that is Paul Collingwood, who is said to have another year to go on his contract and in a broadcast interview he said he was willing to continue for at least another year after this but in the context of talking about the success of the younger players he said he would not be present to witness their full potential. This is worrying. I was therefore delighted to read that he had become an assistant Coach with the Scotland’s one day teams for their important Winter programme of involvement in International competitions. Understandably if Durham do not seize on his managerial coaching potential other quickly will.
The disappointment of the season has been to get close to the latter stages of the two one day games and then fall at the final hurdles. I witnessed two of these games under floodlights at Northants and Derby and while Northants were an excellent team going on to win the Final of the 20 over competition and gaining promotion to Division one, I remain convinced that defeats could in part be put down to inexperience of floodlighting conditions following the fiasco of getting the money from the ECB for the lights, building the substation and then failing to get local planning position and having to give up the opportunity to host the lucrative 20 20 Finals Day.
Before the Members Forum also held on the second day of the Notts I was reliable informed that the decision to put up permanent floodlights, which I assumed were the retractable like those at Lords, had been taken. So after justifiably praising the wonderfully passionate and cricket knowledgeable efforts of the BBC Durham’s ball by ball commentator Martin Emmerson, who chaired the Forum I asked Jonathan Lewis if the players believed that the absence of floodlighting at home had hindered performances at other grounds. I was dumbfounded by his answer which was that he was opposed in principle to use of floodlighting because of the way it altered the game, later correcting the impression by adding that given the changing format next season the issue required to be looked at. Richard Dowson referred to the extra cost of the retractable £1m to 1.75m and to decision having to be based on commercial soundness. Public attendance at home 20 20 games has not been as good as one might have expected at Durham over the past five years with the exception of the 2013, in part because 20 20 games were included in the membership plus some excellent weather. The expense of an overseas played has not been justified for this competition although again a Euro lottery win would be used to tempt Chris Gayle to come for a season to Durham! I noted with interest that although the club opened its internet audio account of the Forum with the issue of floodlighting it omitted my introduction and more significantly the opening comments of Mr Lewis. Floodlighting here we come.
Both the Chief Executive and Mr Dowson rightly spoke of the success of Ashes Test Match and the one the two 20 20 games although reading between the lines the icing would have been the income from the fifth day of the Test. Financial success was essential but this should overshadow the universal praise heaped on Durham from all sides at the arrangements provided by the Team Durham, the Club.
I have watched International cricket beginning with the Oval in 1948 and usually at least one day for the past thirty years, with the Botham‘s Test series the most memorable. I have found the increasing cost questionable given the risks of bad weather and a slow day lacking close interest and been horrified by the drunkenness and its encouragement, notably at Headingley. The Stewarding has generally been good and I have successfully parked on Street at Nottingham, Headingley and Edgbaston. and used the Trafford centre in Manchester. The food for spectators has increased in cost in disproportion to its quality.
The worst experiences however have been at the 20 20 Finals day where at the Rosebowl I was body frisked and a steward wanted to confiscate my flask of cold water which did not last long in the sun and where I was then charged £4 for a bottle of warm water. My worst complaint was against the stewarding within the ground who did nothing to prevent people walking around during play. My 20 20 experience at Edgbaston was little better with only a rough indication from stewards at the Car park of how to get to the ground and then difficulty in working out the best way given that the closest entrance was blocked by building works and which led to the couple walking with me, both long standing Warwickshire members, complementing on their experience at Durham in general and the sign posting to and from the car parks. They then found a steward at the gate they knew and complained of the local situation.
In my area opposite the wicket and main pavilion Stewards who appeared to have no idea about seat numbering allowed spectators to enter and moved continuously about throughout first semi final which meant I missed lots of play as spectators from teams not involved in the match arrived throughout the morning. I paid £6 for a burnt burger when they had run out of the advertised relish. I was not tempted to try the £10.50 Jamie Oliver burger at Lords or his special at £24, but a i did get a well filled baguette from one of the bars for £4 something which was excellent value. While the stewards in the Lord’s Pavilion have aristocratic propriety and evident contempt for Northerners, their dress and accent, (not shared by MCC members I would add) the stewarding and general approach to crowd control and management is otherwise excellent. From the perspective of such experience Durham was outstanding by a distance.
My only constant gripe is the lack of over the wicket viewing available at Durham and except for Martin Emmerson and visiting BBC commentators together with newsmen in the media centre or when occupying the middle and upper tier of the west corner of the Durham stand when the wicket is on the east side of the Square The top row of the green seats provided some behind the wicket viewing but one had the wind howling at one’s neck but the provision now of hoardings at the back of the blue seats makes a difference and these are now fought for by arriving at the ground an hour early.
The best viewing ground is Nottingham where anyone can enter the middle tier of the stand overlooking the wicket and also enjoy good meals in the restaurant bar which also does the best and cheapest cream tea. The way Surrey are using their entire Pavilion for the benefit of Members is also commendable and I was able to cause some merriment around the grounds by mentioning that one main course on daily menu is always a Surrey Stuffed Yorkshire (pudding). Derby also take top marks for their greasy spoon cafe where I saw Geoff Cooke sitting having a chat with spectator. I did not partake of the £20 special offer main dish at the Champagne and Cocktail bar headlined club serving Indian fine dining at the Days Inn adjacent to the ground and where I would guess a full meal with wine for two would come close to £200.
Everything is relative to pocket except that unlike the new stand at Headingley or the Media Centre seats at Hove there are no over wicket seats even to buy at Durham. I did tempt the eagle eyes of the stewards by sneaking into the temporary hospitality unit alongside the media centre for a couple of sessions during the county game between the Test and the One Day International and had the best sheltered viewing experience since the Riverside ground was created. Alas the opportunity was short lived although I did note a photographer breaking the security tape subsequently.
There was a more general defiance of the temporary barriers to prevent spectators from entering the West stand because the surround surface was removed to prepare for the taking down of the ten back rows to the brick pathway. The blue seat East Stand has grown in popularity especially by the hardened West Terrace spectators who stay on despite the loss of sun .I would be disappointed if as at Leeds, Headingley, Lords and on one day at the Oval parts of the ground were closed during championship games.
But putting to one side the limitations of good cricket viewing at Durham it has been a wonderfully extraordinary season. Mark Stoneman one of the few Durham players to hold all three championship winning medals along with Beckenstein, Mustard and Onions achieved 1000 championship runs in the game at Hove and so did the remarkably transformed Scott Borthwick who the Members voted their Player of Year. Scott from Sunderland continues to have few opportunities to perform his slow arm bowling at the Emirates Riverside and it was admitted that despite his scoring good runs in the lower order, putting him in at number four was an experiment. Whoever took that decision is a genius as he also achieved 1000 championship runs during the Hove game and I still remember his vital wicket taking in the second innings at the Oval.
I continue to have an open mind about young Keaton Jennings who has shown that he has application as he did in the final innings at Hove with 127 off 327 balls having stayed 428 minutes and with his departure the second innings quickly fell apart. I look forward to his second full season in 2014.
I am also delighted that Graham Onions, and who without his bowling Durham would not have won several matches was awarded at the PFA dinner but this is poor consolation for not getting a contract to go to Australia where the second eleven is regarded as part of the Performance squad full of young players making their way but also includes older men such as Nick Compton aged 30 and Panasaar. I am outraged that he has not been selected so how must he be feeling? I have only spoken to Graham once when he came over when I was sitting early one year at the boundary on my own at Long Off on a miserable weather morning with few other spectators and he exclaimed to me about the great atmosphere is his bowling. Within a matter of weeks he had been called into the England Team and his future along with Mark Davies, Liam Plunket and Steve Harmison looked golden. Just when everything was great he was injured and in fairness to the ECB his contract was maintained and after woking hard to regain his fitness he was recalled but there always appeared to be reasons why he has not been selected for the first eleven. Geoffrey Boycott who rarely praises unconditionally wanted Yorkshire to sign Graham because of his ability to bowl wicket to wicket consistently and has continued to press his corner. I hope Durham will continue to treat Graham as one of the great bowlers in the UK.
I have also had high hopes of Ben Stokes, the all rounder who has made some stunning catches this year where one at the Oval looked as if it might end his career. He has all the potential of Ian Botham with bat and ball with the major hand injury setting him back. His potential has now been recognised by Engand including him in the full Test touring side this winter. It will be Durham’s loss next season and which needs to be planned for. This is where to my mind Yorkshire reject Usman Arshad has the potential to replace him. Arshad stunned opposing teams when first brought into the side late season on by taking two wickets in two balls in a series of successive innings, was it four and at one point? and he had taken 13 wickets for 130 runs, ending with an average of under 16 for sixteen wickets. However from the outset I also thought he looked a proper batsman and at the Hove game he showed his potential to also bat like Stokes hitting 83 from 86 balls with 3 sixes and 16 fours. On championship winning day someone who looked as if they originated from the Indian sub continent standing on his own toasted the team with a glass of champagne from the walkway above the lower terrace and afterwards I regretted not asking if he was related to the young man who I foresee having a great future. Mind you I said that about young Peng when I saw him hit that brilliant first team appearance 100.
Another new arrival in the regular first team squad is wicket keeper batsman Michael Richardson . But with the Colonel demonstrating his value with that brilliant match winning innings at Norttingham his role as wicket keeper remain secondary making over 500 runs an average of over 33, not outstanding but his two centuries were a joy to witness, with that at Scarborough crucial for the win. Clearly he is considered to have done sufficient to hold the place next year as the club has brought in young Poynter from Warwickshire, a move I first heard during Five Live’s coverage of the game which relegated Derby.
My unsung bowler of the season has been Chris Rushworth, whose dad travelled by the supporters coach on the two 20 20 games I attended and who can be seen perambulating around grounds, and with his grandchild and or dog when at the Emirates Riverside. His consistent performances alongside Graham Onions have sometimes gone unmentioned because he is not always taken the wickets, the bowling justified. Durham once again have a quintet of pace bowlers with Mark Wood and Jamie Harrison who I met with his dad several seasons ago when still a school boy and dad told me about the effort being made to bring him from Cumbria to give him his chance. The unsung heroes behind many young players are the relatives who sacrifice chunks of their lives and money to give “their chance.” Jamie has a first team squad contract for next year. Both young men have had outstanding first seasons as change pace bowlers and with Mark Wood being included in the Ashes Performance squad for Australia although it is said he will not travel spending the time at home building up his strength after injury. Another addition to Durham already announced is MCC Development player Graham Clark.
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Next season the format of championship games and of the two one day competitions will change with the majority of the County Championship games commencing on Sunday
There is to be a new 50 over competition with membership of two 9 team divisions announced during the 40 over Final at Lords. Durham will play Surrey, Kent, Middlesex, Notts and Warwickshire, Glamorgan, Sussex, and Somerset so no Yorks or Lancs visits. Four of the teams will be played at home one year with the others played away, followed by quarter and semi finals so there will be four opportunities to progress in each division instead of having to win a division with only the best making the other semi final place.
At the 40 over Final I missed hearing on Five Live Extra what was said about the 20 20 competition which is to be mainly played on Friday evenings subject to what Sky TV wants. I understood from the end piece that the approach was that there would seven games at home and away but that with 9 team divisions, presumably different from those in 50 over competitions, and will includes some of the others teams such as Ireland Scotland, and Holland with only the closest teams playing at home and away and the furtherest only in alternate years. I suspect that representations made when the clubs met at Lords to discuss the proposed draft fixture list as the season together with the into from Sky is why there has been no detailed announcement about who is playing who in the competition.
Turning back to the events of that last two weeks of the season according to Martin Emmerson’s twitter and text feed there was great expectation among Yorkshire supporters that Durham would be docked more championship points to those at the beginning of the season when wickets tumbled on rhe first day. I sat next to a man who revealed his home was near Lords and when asked by another which team he supported his reply met with the quip, I expect you vote for Nick Clegg. Afterwards I wondered if the visitor was one of the ECB wicket inspectors who was reported to be at the game. Although someone said an individual was travelling up and that the decision would not be made until following morning. In the event Yorkshires hopes were dashed in every sense
The cause of the concern was the dismissal of Notts for 78 and on paper with Durham 74 for 6 the concern did appear justified but so much for the early early start at 10.15, designed to enable the game to finish early on the Friday when Notts were due to Fly to London and Lords for the 40 over final. Given their flight booking was not until mid evening the early early start did not appear justified and bad light prevented the additional overs on that first day. Onions, Harrison and Rushworth all took 3 wickets. It was Collingwood 78 with the Colonel 77 who asked what was the fuss all about and Durham ended their first innings at 256
I moved from the Lumley end Blue seats to the end of first row of the balcony on the second morning because the regulars had been held up by the same serious road accident at the junction roundabout to the ground. Surrounded by those with their ears more closely to the club I was able to gain their take on behind the scene going on although the Interview with the Chief Executive and what was not said as much as what was said at the Forum was also interesting.
Set nearly over 170 runs to avoid an innings defeat Notts did a better job second time around mainly because of an excellent innings by Mullaney 72 and swan song David Hussey, the great Notts servant batsman from Australia. but with Onions, Rushworth and Stokes ensuring that their colleagues only needed 70 odds runs to win on the third day.
The forecast was rain and more rain but the expectation was it would clear for the afternoon. The uncertainty may have been responsible for keeping some devoted Members away but I remain surprised how many of those I had seen regularly over the season did not appear to be at the ground or if they were, went before the presentation of the trophy at the end of the game.
My best memory of that day is the mind boggling rhythmic pounding that went on and on before the players let out a roar and came on the pitch to toss champagne and hold the trophy. My hope is that most of the youngsters present will want to experience that feeling time and time again as well as win a trophy or two at the Home of Cricket.
I was delighted with the three win because I was off to my birth town of Croydon on the Friday before going to the 40 Oval Final on the morrow. I took the car as I was then going down to Sunday lunching was more family and the going to Worthing for the last game of season against Sussex at Hove ( reported 2493-2495).
Restricting my comments to the cricket, have decided to support Notts at the 40 over final and selecting an aisle seat over the wicket I found myself surrounded by Welsh lads and a few lassies. I therefore hoped Glamorgan would do well especially when I saw that Notts had produced their best possible line up with England players Lumb, and stand on the line (I was standing on the terrace walkway just behind you). Hales, Taylor Swann and (only walk if you are given out Broad) with one of the PFA players of the season Patel, Mullaney, Chris Read and David Hussey making this on paper unbeatable team.
At first it looked as if Glamorgan were going to hold Notts to a gettable total but the threat of rain always presented and Notts scored quickly despite losing wickets on a regular basis, the exception was stand on the line Hales who like his one time team mate Scratcher Smith looked uncomfortable throughout the 33 balls for 18 runs compared Lumb 28 from 27 Hussey 42 from 46, Read 53 from 53, Swann not out 29 from 19 and Mullaney 21 from 12. The greatest cheer however was for never walk, just wait till you get to Australia Broad who was bowled first ball for a duck.
Glamorgan never looked they would win after Rees 29 from 36 Cooke 46 from 45 and Allenby 34 from 40 departed. In fairness Broad 3 for 27 from 7 Shahzad 3 for 33 from 6 and Patel 3 for 21 from 7 were uncompromising. It was good to see Simon Jones who 2 for 26 from 8 get the end of career ovation from everybody his contribution to the game merited.
The main activity purpose of my arranged visit to Worthing was to watch Durham play Sussex at Hove in the final match of the 2013 Championship season. It will be remembered that I had booked the trip in error when Sussex were playing at Durham and I had decided to stay home for this game, giving up the five night accommodation at the Brighton Travel lodge at £20 night and the train fare at £30 return. When I had tried to book the correct date it was the Labour Conference time with rooms at £165 a night, a problem which the Durham supporters club also encountered when they tried to book their usual accommodation in December and discovered that there were only a few rooms available and they had to go to Eastbourne some distance away involving about an hours travel each way from the hotel to the ground.
In the event the game proved something of after the Lords Mayor show although it was good to sit on a park bench again under a laden apple tree and in one of the blue stripped deck chairs close to overlooking the wicket. I was deprived of a seat above the media stand because to gain entrance you have to cough up £1000 up front payable in four instalments but you only keep the seat by paying the top membership rate of some £250. I met one seasoned Sussex Member at the top of the adjacent open stand who defiantly refused to pay the required sums to return to his favourite area while a long standing Steward confided that the uptake had not been a great one. Another active working business member proudly showed me his transferable premiership badge without photo which meant that his son would pop in later taking an early leave from his work. It was also good to see so many Durham known faces and I had a good chat with the organiser of the supporters bus who later had to agree to staying until the last ball was bowled when he and the majority of travelling fans would have preferred to have left for the long haul home when the result of the match was not in doubt after the tea break.
On my last visit to Hove before their relegation I listened to the presentation by the Chief Executive on how they intended to spend their riches from the three championship wins and it was therefore good to see how the money had been spent with the inside of the Member’s Pavilion gutted while the facade had to be kept with the new separate sit down dining room although the main meals were also available in the bar and snack lounge area. Given that Sussex is the oldest of the County cricket clubs I was pleased to view their new and growing museum to which I overheard some Members offering additional items. The idea of combining reception, box office with the shop reminds of the position at Worcestershire this time located at the back of the high new stand an where I feared for the Italian style bar restaurant when the season ended given its location away from the main street with a thousand restaurants and bars, well about a hundred if you walk from one end into Brighton.
The best and most knowledgeable company was as usual behind the wicket although the gentleman at Derby who knew the names of those who played for England when aged 40 years or more after World War II beginning with Gubby Allan and ending with Stewart of Surrey took the first prize. However the personal life of my self selected companion in the next deck chair on the last day proved of greater interest than the cricket. he was a comparatively young internal flying business man into his third wife (this time from Thailand half his age) and who arrived with a six pack two of which I covered from sun while he went off for a pub lunch) and where later we had something of a heated discussion as I tried to convince that the English women’s football team were better organised and skilled than their male counterparts and had a greater chance of winning the next world cup, and with things getting better for them as more professional teams were created. I believe his latest marriage is unlikely to last the year given the misogynist comments made about his beloved much to the amusement of Durham and Sussex supporters around.
And the cricket? Durham won the toss on what proved the best morning for bowling an struggled to 164 with Chris Jordan 4 for 50 off 18 and James Anyon 5 for 44 from 10 effectively winning the game on that first day. When Chris Nash and Michael Yardy were out to Graham Onions for 6 the locals were as confident about winning as they had been previously about going down.
It was fog rather than cricket which dominated the second day where only one session of play proved possible. Luke Wright was impressive with 87 from 78 16 fours and 1 six and with the total 328 I was not the only Durham fan fearing a humiliating innings defeat. Because of the threat of defeat as much as the continuing fog I parked my car at Shoreham Lifeboat station and decided to walk rather than take the bus and explored the sea promenade with its brightly coloured beach huts until turning towards the Southern region GMB HQ and the ground.
However as I reached the ground and midday approached the Durham second innings wickets tumbled so I continued walking the length of restaurant land reminding of the 100 places to eat and drink within a mile of my home, and then catching the bus all the way back to Worthing where I selected a good lunch of Olives Feta cheese, spicy chicken wings and a consolation bag of chocolate covered peanuts from the sea Front M and S returning then to my room overlooking the pebbles, sand and sea and recovering from the three hour walking, later tool the bus to collect the car and back for another M and S mini feast where the after putting in £1.50 for a bottle of Diet Pepsi the machine insisted on also giving me back £3.20. This compared favourably with the machine in the Chester Le Street sport centre adjacent to the 50p coffee machine which yielded a gold looking Bank of England 1694 1994 £2 coin which was jammed in the machine and which if real and unmarked, which would be worth over £750, Anyway I will hand over to the centre when I next visit.
Overnight I debated with myself the merit of staying away again on the last day, given with what happened at Notts Scarborough and Derby. This time I took the car to where I knew I could park for the day at a reasonable cost £5 up £1 from my previous visit when I also purchased for £28 a weekly season at Brighton.
I had missed the Stokes epic with 45 from 40 but enjoyed the contribution of Arshad and two centuries from Jennings and Richardson and for a while the possibility of draw was there, but I always felt the force was with Sussex and that third place pot of some £85000 plus while Durham already had their money banked, so to speak and it was good to leave the Sussex supporters on such a happy note, especially those also looking forward even more to the £35 per head award ceremony that same evening. The Durham do is only open to players and staff, their wives and invited guests.
Durham has come a long way since the first turf was laid at the Riverside and I made visits to watch the Pavilion rise but I still miss my visits to Darlington, Stockton, Hartlepool, windy Gateshead, up the road to Chester Le Street (where I still remember the Dean Jones 100 against the West Indies) plus the juxtaposition of Durham prison and the Cathedral at Durham overlooking the Riverside ground there. There is something to be said for being a small club and a park bench under an laden apple tree that the large unoccupied spaces at the Test grounds on championship days.
I hope to sit on that bench for several years to come but if not a big dream has come true again, unlike my hopes for Newcastle and Sunderland AFCs to which I now turn my attention.
It is also time to get ready and catch the Metro for Newcastle and the annual defence lecture at the City University by someone who advises the General Staffs and the Parliamentary Security committee.
