County championship cricket at Durham.

 Posted by Tony Hutton

The Media Centre at Riverside.

County championship cricket returned to the Riverside, Chester le Street on Sunday 11th July and given the choice between this most northerly of venues over the Roses game, which had been transferred from Scarborough to Headingley, the decision was a no brainer. Durham did not require match tickets, numbered seats, bag searches, pass outs etc etc and provided a friendly and wholesome atmosphere. The spectators were able to sit where they wanted and could use their common sense to work out social distancing. The members' lounge provided waiter service at the tables, where you could continue to watch the play while seated. A totally different ball game from the austere surroundings at Headingley.

Two of the unsung backroom boys of county cricket - James Pipe, the Nottinghamshire physio on the left and Alan Walker, Durham's Assistant Coach, on the right.

It took a while to work out why the boundary rope was so far in all around the ground, including the straight boundaries. One suggestion being that Durham required maximum batting bonus points. If that was the case it didn't work. A few had made the journey to support the visitors, Nottinghamshire, and might have been a little apprehensive when they were put into bat. Chris Rushworth is well known for his usually devastating opening spell with the ball, but today took a little longer for his customary early wicket when he clean bowled Hameed for 12. He followed this a little later by having Ben Compton, grandson of Dennis, caught in the slips for 16 and Nottinghamshire were seemingly in a little trouble and without Ben Duckett who had been called into the new look England squad.

Ben Compton returns to the pavilion.

Ben Slater and Joe Clarke, two of the other Nottinghamshire imports, managed to turn things round, playing themselves in with care against the four man seam attack of Rushworth, Potts, Salisbury and Raine. Clarke was initially the more aggressive of the two and eventually saw off the threat of Rushworth whose opening spell produced very satisfactory figures as shown below.

Rushworth's opening spell.

 This partnership put on 71 runs before Slater was bowled by Ben Raine during the afternoon session and Clarke followed a few overs later, being bowled by Matt Salisbury for 46. Clarke by the way was earmarked to keep wicket in this game, in the absence of Moores. Linden James, a young local product of whom much is expected, stayed around for an hour but only made 16 and it was left to skipper Steve Mullaney and Liam Patterson-White, the young left arm spinner who was born in Sunderland, to build a challenging score.

A large black cloud threatened but fortunately passed by.

Mullaney was eventually caught behind by Eckersley off Raine for 39, but Patterson-White was still there at the close with 66 not out, despite losing  Joey Evison, Ben Hutton and Chris Broad in the process. So the end of day one saw Nottinghamshire in control with an overnight score of 312-9. Unfortunately day two brought persistent rain, and despite the best efforts of the ground staff, who made every effort to mop up when the rain briefly stopped it proved too much and there was no play whatsoever on Monday.

Blue skies were never far away.

The few hardy souls who turned up in the members' lounge were not only given regular updates of what was happening, or not happening, as well as being able to use vouchers provided by the club for supporting them last season which provided an admirable snack lunch as well as a free drink. Full marks all round to Durham. It also gave us the opportunity to catch up with John Winn after his epic visit to Taunton last week.

The two 12th men, on the left, were the busiest people around, running on after every over to remove or restore headgear.

We were elsewhere on days three and four when the game petered out into a draw. Notts all out for 328, Durham all out 165, with an encouraging 5-21 from young Evison. The visitors chose not to enforce the follow on and were bowled out a second time for 217, leaving Durham an impossible task in the time available, rather than declaring and giving them a more challenging target. Play ended with Durham on 188-4, far short of the 380 required.