Durham's first game at Riverside.

Posted by Tony Hutton

Regular readers of our blog will realise that both John Winn and I have contributed frequent stories on matches involving Durham County cricket, all still available on our comprehensive archive. Hopefully that will continue when county cricket returns next season. However perhaps time to involve Durham in our new format with a look back to their very first game at Riverside, Chester-le-Street.  

Although born in Yorkshire, I have always been able to claim dual nationality as my mother was born in Sunderland and my earliest years were spent very much with my two grandparents, who were both proud to be Geordies, as all Durham residents were known prior to the 1980s. It was only later that Sunderland residents became 'Mackems'. In addition the later years of my business career involved weekly trips to north east England when I enjoyed seeing the succession of Callers Pegasus celebrity cricket games at Jesmond and occasional Durham Minor Counties games.

I became a Durham member when they became a first class county in 1992 and have remained so for most of the time since. The first three years of county cricket involved following their rather nomadic existence as they travelled around club grounds. Durham University's Racecourse ground, Darlington, Stockton, Hartlepool, Gateshead Fell and Chester-le-Street's Ropery Lane all hosted county games and the local communities became involved in the exciting atmosphere of this wonderful new venture. 

Durham take the field at Riverside for the first time.

The new ground at Riverside was not ready until 1995 and I was there on the day of the first match on the 18th May. Sky Sports news covered the event and due to my son's then connection with Sky introduced myself and got interviewed on my thoughts of the big occasion. Unfortunately I was unable to replicate the local accent! Warwickshire were the visitors and batted first with Andy Moles and Nick Knight batting through until mid-afternoon before the first wicket fell.   

Durham were captained by Mike Roseberry who had returned to his native county from Middlesex. Experienced Wayne Larkins from Northants and John Morris from Derbyshire had reinforced the batting ranks and were joined by overseas player Manoj Prabhakar, an Indian Test player. Simon Brown, who had also returned home from Northants and Melvyn Betts one of the local lads were the two main bowlers.

Durham were fairly optimistic as the visitors were without their three main bowlers Alan Donald, Tim Munton and Gladstone Small who were all injured. However the optimism did not last last long, particularly after the opening partnership of 172. The weather gave the brave spectators a preview of what would become a regular feature of the ground, a chill wind throughout and rain eventually shortening the day's play. Warwickshire ended on 240-2 and the newspapers had a field day with several using the 'Moles digs in' headline for the openers 90 runs.

Still it had been a wonderful occasion, even with the ground far from finished, the open views from the pavilion block across the golf course to Lumley Castle were a great addition to the county cricket grounds of England. The enthusiasm of all concerned was there to see, none more than Don Robson very much the brains behind the whole operation.

Warwickshire built up an all out total of 424 on day two. Simon Brown, with a taste of what was in store for him, bowled tirelessly for forty one overs to take 5-123. Durham were not dismayed and thanks to John Morris with 128 and useful contributions from Wayne Larkins and young local lad Jimmy Daley managed to make 313. Simon Brown again did his stuff with 6-69 in the visitors' second innings, which was declared on 145-8.

Chasing just over 250 to win, Durham fell at the first hurdle loosing both openers cheaply. They could only bat ten men as Daley was injured and although Prabhakar showed his worth with 66 the middle and late order collapsed against the bowling of Dougie Brown, Dermot Reeve and Paul Smith. Durham all out for 145 and lost by 111 runs. Nevertheless an historic occasion and few who were there could have imagined the ups and downs of Durham's eventful history over the next twenty five years.