posted by John Winn
Tomorrow I shall travel to Headingley for the first day of the championship match against Glamorgan. The forecast suggests that whilst flags may rest without fear of being cracked I stand a good chance of seeing a day's cricket thus continuing a reasonable run despite what for many has been a very wet spring. Last weekend I saw cricket on four successive days, not without interruption from the weather but enough play to make my journeys worthwhile.
On Thursday I travelled to Chester le Street when despite occasional patchy rain 92 overs were bowled and Durham by their own choice made good use of the wicket to score at more than four an over, a rate that has become characteristic of their cricket this season. 63 for the first wicket, Lees setting the pace then a slight slump to 126 for 4 before Clark and Robinson added 106 with Robinson going onto his first century for the Prince Bishops. As on my previous visit to Riverside this season I opted to stay overnight but woke to forecast steady rain on Friday. Good work by the ground staff allowed play to start at 12:15 and Carse, aided by Coughlin and Potts, completed his maiden first class century. Then followed a passage of play that delights old buffers like me and baffles Americans.
After Carse hit a mighty six that had those of us in the north west corner cowering for cover, Durham declared leaving time for just one over before lunch from the fifth ball of which Godleman was lbw Raine, a common mode of dismissal this season, and off they came for lunch. Shortly after which Derbyshire were 6 for 4 and wickets continued to fall at regular intervals until a last wicket stand between Reece and Conners saw them to 165 all out.
Second time around things got no better for The Peakites until Lamb and Reece added 149 for the sixth but when the end came it came quickly. LBW Raine saw the back of Lamb for 91 at which points four quick wickets for Potts cemented Durham's place at the top of the division.
On Saturday I took in my first league cricket of the season when Ouseburn CC 1st XI welcomed Masham to Lightmire Lane, arriving in time to see the visitors collapse from 50 for 1 to 69 all out. The response of Masham's tail to the fall of wickets was to give it the old heave-ho to little effect other than to ensure that more than twenty of their overs were not used, overs that might have yielded enough runs to make the outcome much tighter. As it was Ouseburn got home by four wickets.
More club cricket on Sunday but higher up the pyramid when I made the trip to St George's Road Harrogate to see The Roosters take on Hartlepool in a National Club Championship match. Rain halted proceedings after 31 overs and the match was abandoned. Because of league commitments next weekend Hartlepool have conceded the tie.
Tomorrow sees the fifth round of matches in this year's championship and I suppose Surrey's impressive start will give prominence to their trip to Chelmsford but Broad and Anderson on opposite sides whets the appetite for Trent Bridge and in the basement it's Somerset v Northants. Only three matches in Division Two and Derbyshire (bottom) entertain Leicestershire (second) and for the latter a good result could see them go top.
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