England reap rewards of Durham’s dedication to fast-bowling excellence

Chester-le-Street and Multan are not immediate bedfellows. One sits happily in its anorak in the north-east of England, relatively chilly, relatively steady, 10 miles from the North Sea. The other nestles in the southern part of Punjab, with a semi-arid climate, fierce swings of seasonal temperatures – currently hovering in the high 30s – and surrounded by mango farms.

But for the second Test against Pakistan, Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum cocked an eyebrow at the alien conditions, and the six-day Multan pitch, and plumped for an all-Durham seam attack – for the first time in English cricket history. Stokes was joined by Matthew Potts and Brydon Carse, with the spin contingent provided by another great non-Hundred county – Somerset – in Shoaib Bashir and Jack Leach.

And so in charged Carse and Potts, the humidity high, the temperatures sweltering, the air pollution in the city five times the WHO guidance. And they were terrific – bold, strong spells, with both new and old balls, reversing it here, bouncing it there, on a thankless surface.

It was only two years ago, during Britain’s infamous 40C day, that Potts was forced off the field after feeling the effects of extreme heat during his one-day international debut. The conditions were fierce, with spectators sheltering under the stands as the England and Wales Cricket Board and Durham contemplated calling the game off.

Potts, though, has become stronger and fitter; now a compact, almost indestructible, engine who would fit right in the station yard with Thomas and friends. He pounded through 17 overs on Tuesday, going for only 36 runs. Carse, who was suspended for three months this summer for historic betting violations, bowled 11 faultless overs for only 14, hands resting briefly on his hips in tiredness only as stumps approached. Stokes, mopping up around the edges with five overs, looked on admiringly as a selection of western hits from Oasis to Adele serenaded the teams over the ground’s PA system.

The three amigos follow in the big boots of a long line of Durham fast bowler – even if Stokes and Carse were polished not made in the north-east – from Simon Brown, to Liam Plunkett, to Steve Harmison, to Graham Onions, to the smoothest sports car of them all, Mark Wood – currently sidelined with bone stress in his right elbow.

Ryan Campbell, Durham’s head coach, was on Radio 5 Live cricket on Monday night. “Part of my job, which I take very seriously, is to create England players,” he said. “We have a proud history of it, to have three blokes in one game … throw in Mark Wood, who if fit and firing will be in there as well, and it is a pretty exciting time to be at Durham. I’m looking at April and, if everyone’s available, I’m wondering who will miss out.”

Campbell had a theory as to why Durham have such a knack for producing fast bowlers. “Our academy and [the academy director] John Windows has an incredible history of producing fast bowlers. We don’t have a private school system so a lot of our young players go through the hard yards of club cricket, where they have to play against men and maybe be a bit harder, a bit stronger, and work it out for themselves. We had a game against Surrey this year when we had a 16-year-old opening the bowling and a 19-year-old at the other end and that’s the future of our club. We may not be great at producing batters and spinners at the moment but that will come as well.”

He also nodded in the direction of the Championship, tipping his hat in quite an old-fashioned way, for preparing young bowlers for the tribulations of the five-day game. “Potts’ and Carse’s ability to be robust and get through a season of county cricket and play a lot of games – that then prepares you for the rigours of Test cricket and getting through five days. I was keeping a close eye on Brydon and the speed gun [in the first Test]. The ability to still be bowling 140, 142 on day five in 35C heat shows that he has got it. I think his future is bright. I think he’s a great weapon for England going forward especially in Australia.”

But it isn’t just on the factory floor of the men’s fast bowling production line that Durham are flourishing. After finally returning to Division One of the Championship for 2024, for the first time since 2016, they finished fifth – above Lancashire, Nottinghamshire, Warwickshire, Kent and Worcestershire. It wasn’t quite the win that Campbell was aiming for, but more than respectable. And they did it in their own infinitely entertaining, quick-scoring way, at the same time as providing a warm and happy atmosphere at the club.

Meanwhile in the women’s game they were one of eight counties awarded tier one status by the England and Wales Cricket Board in April, and have since signed a blockbuster roll call of names, including Mady Villiers, Emily Windsor, Bess Heath and the tyro England quick Lauren Filer. Marcus North, the director of cricket, whose passion about the women’s game is a real pull factor for women coming to the club, was thrilled by Filer’s signing: “She’s a huge point of difference with her pace and quality.”

But perhaps the final word should go to Potts who, when asked in March about the trials and tribulations of using the Kookaburra ball during a county season said: “It’s red, it’s round, it goes down the other end.” It’s the kind of no-nonsense attitude that keeps Durham grounded and their cricket excitingly alive.

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