Di Venuto wreaks havoc

At 10:30 this morning I phoned Brandon CC and was told without hesitation that the SET game between Durham II and Northants II would definitely start at 12 noon and so I drove the sixty miles to south west Durham arriving just after the scheduled start to find the players cavorting on the outfield but worryingly a group of four or five officials standing by the wicket and looking glum, in the way that people selected for that kind of task do so well.

Steve Harmison brought the news to the pavilion that 'they' would look again at one o'clock at which point I began to fear the worst. There was, apparently, a problem with the bowlers' take off points but to the credit of the host club a man with an industrial strength hairdryer set to work and after half an hour of 'dry hard two' it was announced that a 25 over match would begin at 2:15.

In the meantime I had bumped into my friend Ray Parker, who although he is based in South Wales, is a not  infrequent visitor to the north east and for this week he is staying with his son who lives near Northallerton.Ray is a devotee of Minor Counties, Second Eleven and club cricket and we were happy to wile away the time before the rearranged start, mainly discussing how much cricket we had not watched, rather than watched,  this season.

Durham had put out a side with three former test players, Di Venuto, Harmison and Blackwell, assisted by regular first teamers Stoneman and Thorpe. Northants won the toss and put Durham in and Di Venuto feasted on the visitors' attack to the tune of 156 not out off 80 balls including numerous sixes. assisted mainly by Jennings and Richardson.  Durham raced to 238 for 4, a total always likely to be too high for Northants whose cause was not helped by the loss of early wickets. From 70 for 7 they rallied to 128 for 7 at the end of their 25 overs, but still over 100 short. Leading wicket taker for Durham was Coughlin with three. Tomorrow sees the start of a three day SET game between the two teams at the same well appointed ground.

The National KO Cup managed to complete all but three of yesterday's fixtures and here as promised is the draw for the last sixteen stage. You will note that, sensibly, the competition is regionalised rather than nationalised.

Chorley v Cuckney

York or Blaydon v West Indian Cavaliers or Ockbrook and Borrowash

South Wilts v Bridgewater

Neston v Kidderminster Victoria

Bamford Fieldhouse v Ormskirk

Brentwood v Barnt Green

Spencer or Havant v Teddington

Tunbridge Wells v Wanstaed and Snaresbrook

 Tomorrow to Shaw Lane, Barnsley for Yorks II v Worcs II, always an enjoyable day out.