Durham still have points to prove
Aug 28 2010 by Stuart Rayner, The Journal
LIKE the poor soul who entered the Somerset draw and walked away with a gardening book, Durham and Somerset had to make the most of what they could get yesterday.
For the champions of the last two years first prize has gone, but with three matches left they are refusing to accept the game is over.
Durham began 2010 eyeing a hat-trick, now they want to avoid one.
Twice in the last decade champions have been relegated the following season and the Riversiders are wary of not doing likewise after horrible weather forced them to accept a thoroughly unsatisfying draw.
Prize money and pride should ensure Durham push their aching bodies through three more weeks of cricket, but coach Geoff Cook (pictured right) was quick to point out that is not all.
He said: “There is a lot more than that, we have to make sure we pick up points in every game to make sure we keep out of the bottom two.
“It is going to be tight and with the scoring system these days one win or two wins for the teams below you and you can find yourself in a place you don’t want to be.
“It is important we keep picking up points. If we can pick up two victories that would be fantastic, but first thing’s first really, we have to be playing good cricket.
“The players know we have to take points from every game. I can assure you there will not be any slacking.” Second-from-bottom Essex are 21 points behind fifth-placed Durham and one of their two remaining games is at home to the champions.
When the teams re-emerged yesterday after 67-and-a-half hours of purgatory for the spectators it was as if nothing had happened.
Discussions took place between captains Phil Mustard and Marcus Trescothick and, with Gordon Muchall and Mark Stoneman turning rarely-seen bowling arms over and Liam Plunkett practicing a bit of spin, it looked like we might be set for a contrived result.
Unable to reach agreement and with Somerset’s incentive diminished by a ludicrously generous declaration at Trent Bridge which all but snatched the title from them, both sides set out to glean as many bonus points as possible when Richard Illingworth and Jeremy Lloyd finally stopped fussing over “damp patches” on the short boundary side and allowed play to restart at 2pm.
Somerset declared as soon as Peter Trego’s straight-driven four earned maximum batting points.
Mark Davies is amazingly still searching for his first wicket this season after Zander de Bruyn edged through the vacant fourth slip on 24.
He added 30 more before being caught by midwicket Scott Borthwick, who rushed one on to Craig Kieswetter just as the wicketkeeper was looking like getting the 25 more needed for a first century since reaching three figures for the first time since March.
It was, though, his best of a disappointing season.
Durham showed little inclination to chase the 200 needed for a batting point.
Stoneman took a smack on the right elbow from Charl Willoughby but has not joined a depressingly long list of casualties. He also survived appeals for a catch off Murali Kartik.
The highlight of an otherwise dull end to the game was Michael Di Venuto passing 1,000 first-class runs for the season in its final over.
Durham entertain Scotland in tomorrow’s CB40 without Dale Benkenstein, who needs a hernia operation and has also been playing through a chronic knee problem. There could be a first limited-overs appearance in nearly two years for Davies.
DURHAM (from): Mustard (c/wk), Stoneman, B Harmison, Stokes, Muchall, Coetzer, Blackwell, Breese, Plunkett, Claydon, Rushworth, Borthwick, Davies.
