Time to build on historic season

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.

There is no doubt that this year will be fun, and everything in pre-season has been exactly that. The first time the majority of the squad came together was on March 28 as we boarded a plane to Pretoria, for ten days of training and match practice. It couldn’t have been a more enjoyable time; lots of hard work, great facilities, fantastic camaraderie and a little bit of well-placed socializing were the order of the trip.

It was great to see our skipper Dale Benkenstein for a few of the days as he flew in from Durban. True to his abilities, having not played much cricket for a good few months, he came in and stroked an effortless hundred in one of the games. Pure class.

Then add the names of Stephen Harmison, Phil Mustard and Michael Di Venuto – who met up with the squad upon our return from Pretoria – followed by Neil McKenzie, Albie Morkel and the incomparable Shiv Chanderpaul, and you can see why everyone is as excited about one season of cricket than any other.

Good times are beckoning, and hopefully I will be able to take you through every breathtaking moment right here.