On Friday two wagtails took up residence in the sunshine at the Lumley End of The Riverside as did I and three friends, two of whom I had not seen since last September. As you can imagine there was much catching up to do and matters such as whether there will be cabbages as part of Double or Drop when Crackerjack returns to our screens were on the agenda. Of course not everything reached such intellectual heights but you get the picture.
Meanwhile there was a cricket match. Durham's new coach, New Zealander James Franklin, had swung the axe after the defeat at Derby bringing in Bancroft, Steel and new signing Eckersley in place of Smith, Richardson and Poynter, the last of whom may well see his future bound up with Ireland. Alas the changes had brought little if any improvement on the first day and Durham started Friday eight down but Raine soon holed out at deep mid wicket, condemnation of his shot was stifled when it was pointed out to me that his parents were sitting just two seats in front, Rushworth followed shortly afterwards and although 224 all out brought the first batting point of the season there was little else apart from the antics of the wagtails to cheer us.
By lunch things were looking much brighter Sussex collapsing to 67 for 6 and later 71 for 7 but the last three wickets added 131 with Luke Wells enjoying good support from Jordan, Robinson and Hamza. Wells finished on 98 not out and Durham had a lead of just 12. Steel lasted only five balls as the home team tried to get through to the close and a decent crowd turned up on Saturday in the hope that they might set a defendable target. With Lees going second ball of the day it was soon left to Harte to try and hold things together and when he and Eckersley took the score past 100 just before lunch spirits were lifted but when the wicketkeeper fell to Haines, whose only wicket in 2018 was taken at The Riverside, Steel for 160, and Trevaskis and Raine fell to impetuous shots, each for nought the writing on the wall was in a fairly large font.
Weighell, who had caused the Martlets' first innings collapse resisted for an hour but he fell to Wiese and although Harte and Rushworth added 37 for the last wicket to set Sussex 212 to win, it had been another disappointing batting display by Durham. Nine single figure partnerships over their two innings tells its own sorry story.
Hopes were raised when Salt, whose four innings at CLS have yielded just 22 runs, and Haines were dismissed cheaply but the obdurate Wells who seems to understand what is needed in four day cricket found good support from South African van Zyl, the pair added 83 and on Sunday in front of about a hundred souls, mostly sheltering from the easterly wind in the members' pavilion, the scores were level when Evans was lbw to Salisbury. Brown hit the winning run first ball and when the championship resumes on May 14th and Durham visit New Road, they will do so at the bottom of the table, the only side to have lost two games so far.
Tomorrow sees a change of competition, The Royal London Cup and a change of membership card in the wallet as I will travel to Headingley for the visit of Leicestershire. Yorkshire are expected to 'freshen up their attack' with Willey, Rashid and Bresnan available. With temperatures at last forecast to improve so that we might sit on our coats rather than in them I imagine there will be a good crowd relishing the county's opening performances with the red ball and confident that the switch to white will bring further joy.
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