Durham UCCE no match for County side

Day two of this fixture saw perhaps the most one sided first-class match played at this ground since the Riverside hosted fixtures from 1995. The Durham University students, having been dismissed for a record low score of 67 on day one, and then toiled in the field as Durham CCC scored another 351 runs for the loss of only 3 wickets. Indeed one of these wickets was Durham skipper Jon Lewis who was out "retired" for 110.

Starting the day on 134 for the loss of only Gough, both Lewis and Daley proceeded to centuries in an identical number of balls - 214. Lewis had hit 15 fours and Daley 12. Daley eventually retired hurt on 128 with an upper leg strain and Collingwood and Speak went on to continue to hit the hapless University bowling around the large outfield. Collingwood became the third county centurion in the first over after tea, his century only taking 146 balls and including 10 fours and 3 sixes. Three centurions in an innings for Durham for the first time ever. Collingwood was eventually smartly stumped by Foster off Phillips for 130. Nicky Peng fell to the same combination for a duck but by then the home team had neared 450 with only 4 wickets down.

The cricket was obviously not competitive but new Durham CCC coach Martyn Moxon said that whatever the state of the game the practice in the middle was invaluable and far better than merely having a net. Durham had, during the captaincy of David Boon, ended the friendly matches with Oxford University as they did not provide strong enough opposition. However Moxon did say that he saw this current match as a potential annual fixture.

Looking forward to the Championship season, which begins on Friday with a home fixture against Gloucestershire, Lewis welcomed the opportunity for the players to get some much needed match practice. He was pleased that all the batters for the home side had had some time in the middle and that, despite the brevity of the University innings, the home side bowlers had got some overs under their belts.

For the season ahead Lewis said that new import Danny Law could prove to be the genuine all-rounder that the club were looking for. If Law performed up to expectations this might enable Durham to utilise more bowling options in the season and play a spinner more often, continued Lewis in a press box interview session.

Everyone at the county club was pleased with how Steve Harmison was coming on and saw a fresh sharpness in the bowling of Neil Killeen. If only the students had a bowler who came somewhere near either of these two professionals this match would be more of a contest than a thrashing. Quite what new arrival from Australia, Martin Love, made of it all is not known but as a representation of English cricket this cannot have created a good impression.

To be fair to the students their fielding did not flag and there was no evidence of a loss of enthusiasm. However by the premature close of play - caused by a rainstorm - less than 50 spectators were left braving the elements.