Durham win deserves to be savoured

Sep 4 2010 by Luke Edwards, The Journal

FOR Geoff Cook, Durham’s remarkable victory over Nottinghamshire should not be seen as a case of what might have been, more a case of what could be.

Durham have pulled off more important wins than this one and they have even picked up more dramatic ones, but they have surely never enjoyed a more remarkable victory than this.

With just two seam bowlers, one of which has hardly played in the Championship this season, and two spinners, one of which had spent the morning throwing up, Durham’s walking wounded marched to victory over a Nottinghamshire side which, despite this wobble, remains the favourite to succeed them as champions.

The injury list at the Emirates Durham has reached a ridiculous length. Although the loss of Graham Onions for another nine months is the most shocking news this week, we have also discovered Steve Harmison, Callum Thorp and probably Mark Davies are not going to play again this season.

With Liam Plunkett also limping off in in the morning with a new ankle problem – he will definitely miss today’s CB40 game against Kent at Chester-le-Street – Durham will be severely struggling for bowlers this weekend.

If Durham had played like this all summer they would still be competing for a third successive title, but Cook is more excited about what the future holds for this team than angry about challenges already failed.

“I don’t think I’m frustrated about what might have been,” he said.

“We have been playing with inconsistency all season and inconsistency of selection. But credit to the team, they’ve got five wins from the games they have played. We have always got to look at the future as well as the present.