On this day (2)

posted by John Winn

After a washout yesterday pretty well everywhere, the east side of the country seems to be in for another very wet day and I have already shelved plans to travel to Scarborough. As I write (9:00) the rain continues to pour down and I checked back to see what I might have done in past years on August 30th. Going back to 2005 I was at The Riverside for the first day of a second division championship game between Durham and Derbyshire, the last time these two teams met in this competition. Perhaps 2013 will revive the fixture?

Durham won the toss but were bowled out for 230 with no batsman reaching 50. Ian Hunter, released by Durham two years earlier, caused the home batsmen most trouble taking 5 for 63. By the end of a not very inspiring day's cricket Derbyshire had reached 36 for 2 with Plunkett bowling Di Venuto for 5 and Stubbings falling to Killeen for 11. Durham came into this match on the back of only one win in six championship matches but good early season form under the leadership of Mike Hussey was sufficient to get them promotion in second place behind Lancashire.

For Derbyshire it had been a dismal season with no championship victory coming until the last match  at Taunton when they scored over 700 for the first time in their history but by which time bottom position had already been confirmed. On the second day Derbyshire established a lead of 96 with good scores from Bassano and Moss and Durham lost three wickets before Collingwood and Benkenstein both scored centuries. Collingwood, captain in the absence of Hussey, set a generous declaration, a target Derbyshire failed to reach by only three runs leaving the game drawn..Stubbings top scored with 101. Plunkett was the pick of the Durham bowlers and it has been a while since we could say that.

Although this match was played  only seven years ago just four Durham players remain regulars in four day cricket today, Collingwood, Benkenstein Mustard and Thorpe. Perhaps not surprisingly for Derbyshire change has been even more radical for none of those who played at The Riverside in 2005 are involved in their current match with Essex. Di Venuto of course swapped caps and became a hero at Chester le Street before retiring in July of this year. None of the other Derbyshire players are still involved in the first class game in a playing capacity.

Should Durham retain their first division place at the end of this season then there is a very good chance that the fixture will be renewed next year. The loss of time at Liverpool has aided Durham's cause and increased Lancashire's peril. The news from Aigburth this morning is that there has been some overnight rain and there will be an inspection at 10:00am.Our Manchester correspondent ( a mate of mine who happens to be working there) says there is  'sunshine and blue skies', so perhaps there will be some play later.

Derbyshire meanwhile are not in a good position at Derby but they have the points on the board and their promotion rivals have been similarly frustrated by rain, none less so than Yorkshire at Scarborough. If you feel there is more chance of action in the east midlands then there are special offers available at the County Ground: kids go free and it is two for one for adults for the remaining two days.