After two days watching Yorkshire pile up the runs at Headingley from behind glass in the Long Room to keep warm a change of scene was required. This was partly due to the claustrophobic atmosphere inside and the necessity of listening to other peoples' conversations which is not recommended.
Our original choice of a more peaceful venue was Richmond in North Yorkshire where the Yorkshire Academy were due to play their counterparts from Durham. However despite the wall to wall sunshine all the way we found on arrival a very large wet patch off mud on the bowlers run up at one end. The unofficial information we received from fellow spectators was that another inspection would take place in a hour's time but the most likely outcome was no play today.
Time to put plan B into operation. We knew Durham 2nd XI were due to start a three day game with Scotland A at Riverside, Chester le Street so off we set further north.
On arrival at about 12.15 we were greeted by our informants from Richmond, who had got there first, and told that Scotland had already lost five wickets. However with a maximum of only fifty people dotted around the huge ground the atmosphere was just as we like it.
Riverside bathed in sunshine
In the company of our Hartlepool correspondent (now with the grand title of Director of cricket at Hartlepool CC) we spent the rest of the day basking in the warm sunshine (a new experience this season) and enjoying some good tail end batting which took the score from 37-5 to an almost respectable total of 157 all out.
Durham's battery of pace bowlers dispatched the young Scotsmen in just 35 overs, with major contributions from Harrison 4-52, Weighell 3-39 and McCarthy 2-8. One other bowler deserves a mention, if only for the number of Christian names his parents have bestowed upon him. This was Asher Hale-bopp Joseph Arthur Hart no less. This nineteen year old comes from Cumbria and more may well be heard of him in future.
As for the batsmen the most performance came from Haris Aslam, from Edinburgh, with a well made 52 not out coming in at number six. He received good support from Watt and Main, who also plays for Durham, with 17 and 30 respectively. The last man Neill who is very tall, well above six feet, had his stumps re-arranged in dramatic fashion by Weighell as pictured below. Wicketkeeper Poynton seems to be saying to the umpires 'It wasn't me'.
Stumps demolished
An added bonus today was the purchase of the Northern Echo at Scotch Corner, which as well as its usual excellent sports coverage of cricket and football, with a preview of tonight's important match for Darlington FC and John Winn, had a story about pork pies by the redoubtable Mike Amos.
During the afternoon session the Durham openers 'Colonel' Mustard and Graham Clark helped themselves against some not very hostile bowling. With a shortish boundary on one side of the wicket the two batsmen took full advantage and another run spree, almost on a par with Bairstow and Plunkett at Headingley yesterday, entertained the sparse crowd. Both players hit six sixes and innumerable fours with Mustard the first to his century soon followed by Clark. Their partnership went on well into the evening session and was almost up to three hundred when Mustard retired out on 166.
The first actual wicket fell at 314 when Clark was caught for 122 off the persevering Evans. By this time the poor bowlers must have had enough but had to continue until close of play when the Durham score had reached 395-1. So two prodigious days of run scoring which seemed to have been repeated throughout the county fixtures this week.
The following day was a non-cricketing day for us but suffice to report that Durham batted on to achieve a total of 654-4 declared. Two more centuries from MacLeod with 123 and Poynter with 111 not out, and Couglin 50 not out for good measure. Subsequently despite 50 from Mommsen, Scotland were all out for 247 and well beaten by an innings and a lot of runs. Former Yorkshire spinner Randhawa was the best bowler this time with four wickets. Scotland must have welcomed their day off to lick their wounds.
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