The right call

Posted by John Winn

Plan A today was to go The Riverside to see the third day of the beautifully poised match between Durham and Somerset but an early look at the BBC forecast and an exchange of texts with two friends who live north of the Tees persuaded me that I might well be wasting my time. Far too much blue on the map suggested Headingley might be a better bet and a tweet at 10:30 that said it was hoped to start on time set me on my way, too late alas for the start of play.  My  first glimpse of the playing area saw the players heading towards the dressing rooms and the covers going  the other way.
The light rain turned heavy enough to persuade some to go home but as Brian has described the patient were rewarded when play started at 2:15. Much better batting fron Thants, as the east side scoreboard called the visitors, meant that they had lost only four wickets by the close and a good forecast for tomorrow suggests the journey to LS8 will be worth the trouble in the morning.

As for The Riverside although there was no rain after lunch  gloom persisted and play was finally abandoned for the day at five o'clock. The game remains evenly poised of course and very much in Paul Collingwood's hands.  If the forecast suggests a full day's play then one assumes Durham will try and set their visitors from the West Country at least 300, a target rarely achieved at The Riverside but the Durham skipper will no doubt remember how Joe Root ruined his calculations a year ago.



I can only stay at Headingley until late afternoon by which time I think Northants will be on their way home with a very modest return of points from the match. Perhaps they will consider that the
fixture list has been hard on them and that to meet the champions and runners up in their first two matches after promotion was unfortunate. If so they might consider easier times lie ahead and  Lancashire at home a better guide to their fortunes. How do you spell hmm?