Durham CCC: promotion has North East cricket back where it belongs
It’s been a rough seven years for Durham County Cricket Club, but promotion is a richly deserved reward
The last few years have been rough going for Durham CCC. Relegation from Division One of the County Championship in 2016 was a blow to Britain’s most recent county to turn first class, and it came with hefty repercussions.
Relegation was a punishment for financial irregularities, and in exchange of the demotion the club received a bailout from the ECB. the money was to help secure Durham as a second division side, but the 2017 season also saw them start with a -48 points deduction. Extra points deductions came in the form of a 4 point deduction in the T20 Cup and a 2 point penalty in the Royal London One Day Cup.
Additional punishment dished out by the ECB was that the county could no longer bid for test match hosts status. The summer of their relegation saw them host England v Sri Lanka, this was the last Test match to be played at the Chester-le-Street Ground.
Durham were stuck between a rock and a hard place. In not accepting financial support, the club could well have gone under, but the only way to get the bailout was by facing the harsh punishments of the ECB. relegation brought to an end an 11 year stay in the top flight, the longest of any county since the two division set up was introduced in 1999. Between 2008 and 2013, they won the Division 1 title on 3 occasions, making themselves a force to be reckoned with.
Factor into this some of the quality players they have produced for the national side, including Paul Collingwood, Steve Harmison and more recently Mark Wood and Ben Stokes, and you’ve got a county which has contributed greatly to the English game in just over 30 years.
With all of this in mind, including the harsh way Durham were forced into relegation, seeing the north east county back in the top flight should be celebrated. Cricket is hugely popular in the county and wider region, with Durham having a strong partnership with Northumberland CC. The current crop of Durham players have shone through the season, and it’s a testament to how well run they are as a county on the pitch.
A return to Division 1 will see them return to facing the big guns in Surrey, Lancashire, Warwickshire and others. A brighter future is on the horizon for Durham, and they are on the verge of claiming the cherry on top of the promotion cake with the Division 2 title. The North East is a hotbed of sport, with football leading the way. Yet there is a strong appetite for cricket, and having a top tier county side is what the region needs moving forward.
