Durham pick up an unwanted record

 Posted by Tony Hutton

Durham county cricket club welcomed back spectators to the Riverside ground last week for the first time since the pandemic and a splendid job they did of it. In contrast to certain other counties, who seem to have been unduly obstructive and non-communicative, everything was welcoming and well organised with members free to wander around the whole ground, as long as wearing face masks when not seated. The table service in the long room seemed to work well, although there was understandably something of a queue at lunchtime.

Spectators back at the Riverside, but these people had a long distance view with the wicket far away.

Unfortunately the cricket was not quite so straightforward. Plenty of early season rain, together with the re-laying of the square, produced a pitch on which batting was never really easy, except for two or three individuals on the visiting side who were able to cope with the unpredictable low bounce. This phenomenon, to the delight of the BBC local radio commentators, almost equalled a world record being one short of the most lbw decisions in a first class match ever. However it did set a record for county cricket in England with no less than nineteen.

On Thursday morning Durham won the toss and put Essex into bat. Chris Rushworth once again did not disappoint in his opening spell, taking the valued wicket of Alastair Cook for only two, to become the first lbw victim of the match. Matty Potts then bowled Browne and Ben Raine had Westley lbw to leave Essex struggling on 40-3. However it was some considerable time before Rushworth was to take his second wicket.

Better view from the Castle Stand with Rushworth bowling and Alastair Cook the non-striker.

A partnership of 64 for the fourth wicket then followed between two tall batsman, Paul Walter slightly more experience and ready to celebrate his 27th birthday the following day, and Michael Pepper from Cambridge with a first class highest score of only 22. Walter played the minor role until he was out for 28 but Pepper, playing with growing confidence, fell just eight runs short of his maiden century when the returning Rushworth got another lbw decision with the score on 179-6.

Pepper reaches the nervous nineties.

Then reluctantly leaves the crease another lbw victim for 92.

The Essex tail then disintegrated totally. Skipper Borthwick had already had the senior man Ryan ten Doeschate lbw with what looked like a googly and then Raine and Rushworth finished off the rest with only three more runs added. Essex all out for 182 and Durham probably quite happy at that stage. As so often however the Durham innings got off to a poor start against the accurate three man pace attack of Porter, Sam Cook and Australian Peter Siddle. By close of play their innings was in tatters at 58-6.

Close of play day one.

On Friday morning with yet another fine sunny day in prospect there was a short temporary respite while Eckersley and Carse put on a stand of 21. but it did not last and the home side were all out for 99, a deficit of 83 on first innings. Porter 3-27, Sam Cook 4-38 and Siddle 3-29 all bowled accurately and took advantage of the conditions with six more lbws, after the six in the Essex innings. We were already thinking of an early finish to the game and our plans for a three day visit looked on the generous side.

Even more so when Essex, lost Browne early on, then Alastair Cook again to Rushworth (3rd time this season) and then Westley to make it 15-3. Things seemed to be going from bad to worse for the visitors but from 53-5 we saw a match winning partnership of 125 between former skipper Ryan ten Doeschate and wicketkeeper Adam Wheater, who made top score of the innings with 81. So at the close of day two Essex had taken their score to 263-8 and had extended their lead to a formidable 346.

Chris Rushworth returns to his fielding position after yet another over.

The players take the field on day three.

A rare appearance of Ben Stokes at Riverside, after a session in the nets.

Another hot sunny day on Saturday, with not so many spectators, some with other plans no doubt and others reconciled to another Durham defeat. Essex batted on and made it look a much easier proposition than earlier in the game. Harmer made 47 not out and the total reached 301 when they were all out, making a target of 385 an extremely daunting prospect for the home side. The omens were not good when Bancroft had two of his stumps removed by Porter early on. Alex Lees needed to play a big innings if Durham were to get a draw at best. He started slowly but got his head down and began to look good.

Backs to the wall for Durham.

Durham's captain, Scott Borthwick, however departed another lbw victim to the persistent Sam Cook, who always makes me think of the long ago Gloucester left arm spinner of the same name, bowling over after over in tandem with his partner in crime the splendid Tom Goddard. Simon Harmer the South African spinner who did not bowl in the first innings did get a  bowl but ended the match wicket-less after suffering the indignity of being hit for six by Lees. The Yorkshireman then fell to the three card trick from part time bowler ten Doeschate, playing too soon and spooning the easiest of catches into the offside. Jones, the Lancastrian, who arrived via Scotland, settled in to play a useful innings before he went the same way as Borthwick.

The writing was well and truly on the wall by the tea interval when we decided to set off for home down the A1 south, while hordes of Bank holidaymakers were making their way north. We got home in quick time to see the last rites on the live steaming, as Matt Potts had his stumps demolished by the admirable Porter, who finished with 4-31. So a somewhat easy win for champions Essex in the end, but nothing could take away our delight of three days championship cricket in wonderful weather after a very long wait.