Couldn't be better

There are days in the pcw's season when everything comes together and  an almost perfect day's cricket watching is the result. Today was one of those days when setting, weather, conversation and refreshments combined to make the cricket almost irrelevant.

Although it is forty years since I last lived in Darlington there is still something a little special when  Iboard the train at York for the half hour journey north and then make the short walk down Victoria Road to the Feethams ground where my father and I both played and which I know several pcws would place high on their list of favourite grounds. The cricket today was a three day game between Durham II and Ireland A, and despite the best efforts of Durham to keep details of the game a secret, gradually a decent crowd assembled. Most people were caught off guard by a 10:45 start :all part of a schedule designed to allow the visitors to depart from Newcastle Airport at about six o'clock on Thursday evening.

Arriving before even this early start time iIwas surprised to see a sign which said 'weight watchers in the bar', certainly a welcome new approach to slimming, but I ignored it and after a chat with the manager of the Irish team I took my seat in the pavilion.

I was pleased to see Michael from Hartlepool amongst the other early arrivals for we had not met up previously this season and we were soon joined by Tony Hutton who had travelled up from Leeds by train. The Irish team were accompanied by their coach Phil Simmons and also present was the Durham coach Geoff Cook, perhaps with a view to giving an opportunity to some new faces to breakthrough into the first eleven for this Friday's championship match with Middlesex.

Ireland had first knock and when lunch was taken after a two and half hour session had reached 136 for 1 off forty overs thanks to a stand between the former Leeds Met player Chris Dougherty and John Anderson. Dougherty went to his fifty just before the break with a six off Blackwell, who was captaining Durham.

Hungry spectators were invited to eat as much as they could after the players had been served, and all for £3:00, splendid. When play resumed Harrison, who enjoyed success in the championship earlier in the season but who has been injured struck three times to make Ireland 149 for 4 and wickets for Wood and Pringle put the hosts on top at 181 for 6. Ireland recovered mainly through  68 from wicket keeper Stuart Poynter and eventually declared at 335 for 9 leaving Durham 16 overs batting. Singh and Jennings made good use of this to close on 72 without loss.

Could either of these young batsmen stake a claim for championship cricket on Friday with a good score tomorrow or will Cook and Collingwood persist with a batting order where nobody averages above thirty, and  with the hapless Muchall at number three who in nine first class innings has a top score of 25 and an average a cigarette paper over ten ? We shall see, but an interesting day has been set up for tomorrow at Darlington (with another 10:45 start) and I have not entirely ruled out making the journey to my home town again.