By Garreth Duncan
We do it all. Everything. On our own.
We don’t need anything, or anyone.
So sung Snow Patrol in their anthem Chasing Cars, but their words are just as applicable to Durham’s third County Championship in six years – done the hard way, with a completely home-grown team (Will Smith, a Durham University product, just about counts) and overcoming innumerable obstacles thrown in our way.
The main credit for this must go to Paul Collingwood, an achievement which arguably surpasses anything he did in his fine England career. It’s hard to overstate what a mess we were in when Colly took over as captain last June. We were bottom of Division One, without a Championship win all season, and looking nailed-on certainties for relegation. But a stirring recovery – five wins in our last eight game – brought about a great escape and a mid-table finish.
Even with Division One status secured, Durham still weren’t out of the woods. With our finances in disarray, having blown our budget on some misguided big-name signings as we chased the Twenty20 pot of gold, we began this season with a points deduction in all three competitions for breaking the salary cap, no money for an overseas player, and suffering the indignity of handing back an ODI and T20 international we’d been awarded for 2014 but couldn’t afford to pay the ECB for.
Things didn’t get much better as Dale Benkenstein, our former skipper and mainstay of our batting for almost a decade, got injured early on and missed most of the season, and Geoff Cook, the godfather of Durham cricket for our entire first-class history, suffering a heart attack in mid-season. But, from fourth place as the Championship paused for the T20 circus, we finished with a county record of five wins in a row to storm to the title.
Durham’s success was founded, once again, on our academy products. The North East may have made its name in coal mining, but we now tap into a rich seam of locally-raised fast bowlers which just keeps on producing. To add to the evergreen Graham Onions (66 wickets at 17), crazily overlooked by England even on his home ground, step forward Chris Rushworth (53 wickets at 21), and Jamie Harrison, our most promising left-armer since Simon Brown.
A profusion of all-rounders – as well as Colly himself and the rapidly-improving Ben Stokes, Scott Borthwick, nicely settled in at no 3 and topping the batting averages with 985 runs at 41 to add to his leg-spin, reinforced the batting line-up and gave us so many bowling options we fielded only three specialist bowlers in many games. Our most famous local product, Steve Harmison, had a benefit year of leisure and couldn’t get in the side.
Our southern critics will no doubt mutter that our quicks got some assistance from sporty Riverside pitches. But our two critical, title-turning wins both came away from home – bowling out our nearest rivals Yorkshire twice on the flattest of Scarborough decks, and following it up by blowing away Derbyshire for 63 on the last day of a rain-ruined game in which, at the end of day three, no result other than a draw looked remotely possible. ECB pitch inspector Jack Birkenshaw came to Chester-le-Street to take a look this week as Notts were bowled out for 78 before lunch, and left satisfied as Colly and Phil Mustard rescued us from 74-6 with a crucial stand of 121 that clinched the title.
A Championship is the sweetest of presents on our 21st birthday as a first class county. But this was also the year Riverside truly came of age on the international stage by hosting the fourth Ashes Test. As well as seeing England clinch the series with an unforgettable spell by Stuart Broad and helping out of our parlous financial position, it was a fantastic advert for Durham and a poke in the eye for those who think Ashes Tests should be the sole preserve of the six historic grounds.
Where do we go from here? Retaining the title should be Durham’s main priority for 2014, but it would be great to see us finally crack Twenty20 too (we’ve been to finals day just once, only for Shivnarine Chanderpaul to come out to bat like he was trying to save a Test for the West Indies). Ben Stokes could yet become the batting all-rounder England crave to balance their side, and some useful performances in the ODIs against Australia may yet get him into the tour party Down Under. If there’s any justice, Onions should be on the plane with him. But if you don’t want them, we’ll be happy to have them back next season …
Many congratulations on an incredible transformation of your fortunes and a much deserved triumph. As a Notts supporter, I certainly wish that Graham Onions was actively bowling for England more often; we wouldn’t be on the receiving end of his devastating performances so much!
Congratulation guys! brilliant performance. people have some critical thoughts as well like i was reading an article about Bob Willis and Mike Atherton Tittle is ” Bob Willis and Mike Atherton’s forgotten revolution” By By Huw Turbervill check that out and what is your opinion on it.