Riverside crowd set to roar for delayed match

Jul 19 2008 by Stuart Rayner, The Journal

DURHAM are aiming to fill the Riverside for a game they still do not believe should go ahead.

Dale Benkenstein’s side will finally play their Twenty20 quarter-final against Glamorgan on Tuesday after their original tie was scrapped in a controversy over an ineligible player.

Durham’s scheduled opponents that day, Yorkshire, were found to have fielded Azeem Rafiq despite the 17-year-old off-spinner not being properly registered to play. The Riversiders were first ordered to play Nottinghamshire then, after an appeal, Glamorgan, despite Durham’s argument they should not be asked to play the tie again so close to Twenty20 Finals Day, a week today.

Now Durham want to see their biggest ever crowd for a domestic match to give the team the best chance of reaching the Rose Bowl showpiece. With a Twenty20 international between England and South Africa on August 20, the capacity of the Chester-le-Street ground has been expanded to 16,000 with temporary seating.

The county has done their bit by cutting adult ticket prices to £5. Accompanying children can come for free and their surrounding council car parks will also be free from 3.30pm. The game starts at 5.30pm.

All gate proceeds will be split between the County Durham Foundation, the Kidney Wales Foundation and the Cricket Foundation.

“We want to encourage as many people as possible to back the team in our quarter-final next week and to use it as an opportunity to support local charities,” said Durham chief executive David Harker.

Now Paul Collingwood has been left out of the England side at Headingley, the all-rounder could be available to play if England release him. Shaun Pollock is expected to be freed from his media commitments that day.

Meanwhile, Stephen Harmison has been rested for Durham’s Pro40 League Division Two game tomorrow. But Gordon Muchall is in line for only his fourth competitive match this season. Mark Davies and Graham Onions are both in a 12-man squad. The game will now start an hour earlier at 12.45pm.

DURHAM (from): Di Venuto, Mustard (wk), W Smith, Chanderpaul, Benkenstein (c), B Harmison, Muchall, Plunkett, Breese, Davies, Thorp, Onions.