Two days in the sun at Chester le Street

Posted by Tony Hutton

Sunday and Monday were spent at the Riverside in Chester le Street watching Durham take on Lancashire in a county championship game. Despite the threat of cool, cloudy weather both days turned out fine, particularly after lunch and two days in the sun proved a real treat. Michael Atherton yesterday wrote an article in the Times concerning Durham county cricket's parlous financial situation and one can only hope that someone can come up with a total package to rescue things for the future. 

Blue skies over Riverside

Good to catch up with our Hartlepool correspondent and Darlo Eddie, for the first time this season, to add to the general ambiance of the occasion.
As for the cricket, Durham did not make the best of starts on Sunday. Stoneman was quick out of the blocks with a fairly rapid 31 but both he and fellow opener Jennings fell to the tall opening bowler Bailey to leave Durham 46-2. Steve Borthwick and Jack Burnham put together an important partnership with Borthwick, now mainly a batsman rather than a leg spinning all rounder, the dominant partner. Burnham struggled a little against the varied all pace attack but stuck at it until he was caught at slip by Livingstone, again off Bailey, for 40.

Richardson did not stay long also caught at slip by Livingstone this time off Jarvis for 1.  Enter Paul Collingwood, so often the saviour for Durham. He did not disappoint sharing a partnership of 123 with Borthwick to turn the game back Durham's way.
Borthwick completed a fine century and went on to make 134 before being caught by Peterson when spinner Kerrigan belatedly joined the attack. Collingwood dug in to remain 85 not out at the close.

Borthwick brings up his century

On Monday morning the main interest surrounded Collingwood's quest for a century.
However it did not seem to concern him and he made no attempts to farm the strike even when the tailenders appeared. Bailey removed Pringle and Weighell and Jarvis had Carse caught at slip before Collingwood, seemingly taking his time on 97, hit a comfortable catch to Brown to the disappointment of both home and away supporters.

That made it 375-9 but to genuine surprise the last pair of McCarthy and Onions cruised past the 400 mark with McCarthy making 37 and Onions 14 not out to finish on 411 all out - a score which should see Durham safe from defeat. Bailey had the best bowling figures with 5-110, but the Lancashire attack, without Anderson of course, does not seem good enough to challenge for the championship. Wagner the New Zealander was particularly ineffective.

When Lancashire batted Brown and Procter soon fell to the bowling of Weighell, the man from Stokesley, and were 21-2. Youngster Hameed and South African Petersen righted the ship in rather obdurate fashion initially, but both went on to well earned fifties before Petersen was lbw to Onions soon after tea and some time later Hameed was bowled by Borthwick. So 205-4 at the end of a good day's cricket, in good weather and with a gathering of former business colleagues to keep me amused throughout with memories of both Lancashire cricket and Manchester City of long ago.