A Breeze for Durham

posted by John Winn

Despite Five Live's best efforts*,most readers will be aware by now that the final of the Royal London Cup will be between Durham and Warwickshire on September 20th at Lord's. They will also know that Ben Stokes, for whom very little has gone right since he took his frustrations out on a locker earlier this year,  made a magnificent century to set up Durham's victory and that a score of 353, even with shortened boundaries, was always likely to be too many for Notts who had already lost one game at The Riverside this week. How they must hate the trip to Chester le Street for that is their third defeat at the ground this season.

Library picture

Driving through North Yorkshire before 8:00 there was heavy rain but by the time I called to pick up my friend Alan Pinkney on the outskirts of Darlington it had almost stopped and when we reached The Riverside things looked promising for a prompt start at 10:30, which indeed we got. Taylor won the toss and did what Durham skipper Stoneman would have done, fielded and from then on it was Durham's day. Mustard, who had passed a fitness test on a knee injury, and Stoneman got the homesters off to a good start and apart from a slight flutter when Jennings' dismissal followed closely on that of MacLeod, one's nerves remained largely untroubled. Sit back and watch Stokes hit sixes and fours, cue music, to all parts.

That 'the competition's best death bowler'** Luke Fletcher went for 82 off his ten overs says it all. During the luncheon interval I chatted with the sage of Allens West, Frank Siddle who was critical of Taylor's captaincy and felt that the result was a formality. Pride comes before a fall and all that, Frank but the loss of early Notts' wickets, 17 for 1, 21 for 2, made me think that he was not going to be far out in his prediction. I was impressed with Stoneman's handling of his bowlers and he was backed by excellent fielding. I haven't been too thrilled with MacLeod's batting yet, but boy he can field. Durham were much more athletic than Notts had been, think Fletcher and Patel. The latter made fifty but was fortunate to be spared when Collingwood contravened Finn's law and knocked off a bail while the ball did the same to Patel's stumps at the other end, then MacLeod owned up when his foot touched the boundary while taking a catch in the deep before next ball Patel's third innings ended when he was caught behind. He had the cheek to look disgruntled.

After that there was only Taylor but the run rate refused to come down. There were two run outs: one by 'Battler' Hastings to get rid of Read and then by Jennings to send Shazad on his way. Stoneman had held back his three fastest bowlers and fittingly it was Stokes who removed Taylor to finish proceedings.

A nice touch at the end was that Durham were led off by Gareth Breeze, who was playing his last home match after ten years with the county, his final appearance will be at at Lord's, and he received a standing ovation from the delighted members. Good that he should have the best bowling figures of the day. Thank you, Gareth, you have been a great servant and seen a fair bit of thin, especially in your early days. The nickname committee has never got past Breezy, how about Brighton?

Yesterday could also have been overseas player Hastings last Riverside appearance, for he is booked on a flight to India at the conclusion of the championship match at Lord's this week, but Durham have not ruled out flying him back for the final. In an open field he is my choice for player of the season. Plenty of wickets, useful runs at times and a clear commitment to the cause, not for nothing has he earned his nickname 'Battler', copyright Peter Sixsmith.

A day off tomorrow then Trent Bridge on Tuesday. Notts will need to pick themselves up after a very bad week. Both teams will have their England players available, bring it on.

* a  semi final in the season's major cup competition was not worthy of a mention on either their seven o'clock sport bulletin yesterday evening, although I did learn that Fleetwood Town had lost their unbeaten record, or on their 7:30 bulletin this morning.

** a Sky commentator a couple of week's ago, can't remember which one but might have been Nick Knight.