I have divided my time this week between the same three venues as Tony but not until yesterday did our paths cross when we met in the Headingley Long Room before play. Tony has described events at Harrogate and The Riverside, both of which finished in early victories for the home teams, Yorkshire II and Durham II, the latter becoming Second XI Champions leaving Middlesex now runners up for the last two years. What intrigued me about this match was the strength of the team Durham selected and in particular the bowling strength where skipper Weighell had at least 8 options in the twelve named players. Contrast this with Headingley where they have been clearly a seamer short, poor old Onions had bowled twenty overs by 3:00 on the first day, and where skipper Collingwood, a rare visitor to the bowling crease these days, was first change.
My reading of this was that Durham have given higher priority to the SEC than to first division survival, which is now very much threatened to the extent that they find themselves hoping that Surrey can bat all day at The Oval to prevent a Hampshire victory: a victory, which together with their almost certain defeat at Headingley would leave Durham in the relegation places. One's dismay at this turn of events can be moderated to a degree by the knowledge that Durham have a game in hand, against Surrey at home next week, but then will face Hampshire in Southampton in the last round of matches. Sir Alex Ferguson had a term for this.
How has this come about? On August 6th Durham needed just 46 runs on the last morning with four wickets in hand to beat Somerset at Taunton, a win that would have seen them go top of the table, in 17 horrifying minutes they were bowled out for six runs, since when batting points have been a very rare commodity, just five having been won in the four matches played. This poor form has been set against a constant stream of rumours emerging from The Riverside about which players will be leaving at the end of the season. As far back as July 26th opener Mark Stoneham announced he favoured the Prince of Wales' Feathers to the Prince Bishops and had signed a contract taking him to The Oval next year. As he left the field after his dreadful dismissal yesterday I remarked to my friend John Gawthrope that next time Yorkshire supporters saw him he (Stoneman) would be wearing a brown cap. The unkindest cap of all.
Scott Borthwick is the other major player in the gossip maelstrom, his name having been linked to a number of counties. The position seems to be that if Durham stay up he will stay, if relegated he will go. How does that affect your state of mind when batting? Chance to find out at Headingley today. I texted another friend during the tea interval to say that Durham looked like a team not only going to lose to Yorkshire but to be relegated as well. There will have to be a massive uplift in spirit before Surrey come to The Riverside on Monday otherwise they may find themselves having to go to Hants on September 20th needing to win. In which case, Goodnight Vienna.
So reasons to be cheerful are in short supply but of course I have rather oversimplified the relegation issue, it is not a three horse race, Notts, Hants, Durham, for both Warwickshire and Lancashire, especially the former, are far from secure and meet at Edgbaston in the last round. And in the meantime there is the prospect of a terrific day at Trent Bridge today where Middlesex need 187 to win with seven wickets in hand. Five Live Sports Extra for me.
Durham II closing in on Middlesex II on Wednesday.
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