First Class, First Person (UK Domestic)

The summer of 2007 will go down in history for Durham after our Friends Provident Trophy and Pro40 triumphs. Of that there is no question. The very last day of the season nearly heralded an even greater year, as for one night we had a weak hold on the County Championship title, only for Sussex to sneak past.

These three dates will be etched in people’s thoughts, memories and on honours boards forever. But right now, they are firmly at the back of the squad’s minds. The challenge now is wholly different – it is to live up to last year’s success, to perform on an even higher level for longer, and to appreciate that everyone will now be gunning for Durham. It could not be a more exciting time to be playing for Durham, and the fact that Geoff Cook has used the word ‘fun’ many times when asked to describe the squad’s task of emulating the success, reveals a great deal about the kind of place Durham is.