First of all an apology! In yesterday's rant about second team cricket I was critical of Lancashire county cricket club for not supplying a scorecard for the spectators at Todmorden gathered to watch Lancashire second team play Durham seconds. My Bolton correspondent, who is very well informed on all matters relating to Lancashire cricket, advises that it was human error and not an insult to the standing of second team cricket by the county.
Scorecards had been prepared but a member of the Lancashire coaching staff entrusted with their delivery had left them on his kitchen table. They duly arrived early on the morning of day two and everyone was happy again - well except those who did not know three of the Durham players listed were not in fact involved in the game. However a minor point and full details were available on the admirable Total Cricket Scorer. So almost everything was well with the world again except the weather which delayed the start of day two until 2 p.m. and caused further delays due to bad light.
Further confusion occurred with some players and spectators not sure which county they were in. Todmorden is now very much in Yorkshire, but at one time the county boundary ran right through the middle of the cricket ground. The Lancashire fieldsman Robert Jones, who was 12th man for England in the Old Trafford Test, had to ask spectators 'which county are we in'. In addition my Bolton contact thought he could not be in Yorkshire as he couldn't find a branch of the Yorkshire Bank.
Going back to day one on Monday Durham batted first in this final second eleven championship match of the season for both teams. Lancashire are already champions of the northern group and will play the southern champions Hampshire in the four day final on 5th September - venue to be decided. The young Durham team were up against a Lancashire side made up of at least 50% of the first team.
They were soon in trouble against the experienced opening attack of Jarvis and Bailey and in no time at all were 9-3, with Burnham, Poynter and Clark all dismissed.
However two of the younger element Scott Steel, not to be confused with Cameron Steel, and Solomon Bell who both impressed last week against Yorkshire seconds managed to turn things around for Durham. Seventeen year old Bell, who scored a big hundred for Durham under 17s against Lancashire at Hartlepool recently, again looked a likely lad. He made a useful 38 alongside Steel's 42 which proved to be top score for the visitors. For much of the afternoon session Shivnarine Chanderpaul, the West Indian Test legend, spent the time acting as drinks monitor much to the enjoyment of one section of the crowd who got him to pose for 'selfies' with them.
Carse, yet another South African, acting captain today made 35 and Yorkshireman Arshad 23, but when Lancashire introduced the fierce pace of Liam Hurt he demolished the tail and the stumps with 3-30. Last man Graham Onions made a useful 20 as did left arm spinner George Harding to add 27 for the last wicket. Durham were all out for 201 in 55 overs.
Davies and Hameed, two of the first team regulars opened for Lancashire but play was interrupted just before tea by drizzly rain and later cut short by bad light, Lancashire ending the day on 76-2 with Hameed and Jones back in the pavilion.
Day two was dry and bright at first but overnight rain meant that the outfield was soaking wet and there was no prospect of play before lunch. It did start again at two with overnight batsmen Davies and Chanderpaul at the crease. Davies soon reached his fifty but then was caught behind off Onions.Then Weighell, a very useful all rounder from Stokesley, weighed in with three quick wickets removing Bohannon , Lamb and Lilley very rapidly as Lancashire went from 84-2 to 109-6.
Through all this Chanderpaul was his usual imperturbable self, leaving all the wide balls, blocking the straight ones and hitting the occasional bad ball for four. Bailey, who had taken four wickets yesterday, gave him some support, but then Weighell also dismissed Jarvis and Hurt to give him six wickets in total. Last man Toby Lester came to the crease on 168-9 with Chanderpaul in the forties.
A late tea was taken just after five p.m.with a planned 42 overs still to be bowled after the interval to make up for last time. It was not to be however as bad light eventually intervened again. However Chanderpaul took advantage of the few overs that were played to savage the bowling, hitting seven sixes to take him very quickly to 103 not out in a last wicket partnership of 88 with Lester. Lancashire all out 256, a lead of 55. Play did not re-start after this due to the murky conditions, which leaves an interesting day in prospect for Wednesday - weather permitting.
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