LINKS between Northumberland and Durham are growing closer, much to the delight of Phil Nicholson, the minor county’s captain and wicketkeeper, who said: “We have registered all of Durham’s academy members and it is to our mutual benefit. They have players available and we have the opportunity to use them.
“Steve Gale and Chris Rushworth, both 17, are among those who have already appeared in our team, along with John Windows, who is the director of the Durham academy. Our connection with a first-class county is especially beneficial because Northumberland is small in terms of player population. We select only from those who were born or play in Tyne & Wear.”
Nicholson, 30, is in his eighth season of captaincy and has a burning desire for the county to lift a title for the first time in their 109-year history. They began with a one-wicket win off the last ball of the championship match against Cambridgeshire at Jesmond in which Bradley Parker, 33, formerly of Yorkshire, and Adam Heather, a Mancunian, made hundreds.
Parker added 99 not out and shared an unbroken partnership of 137 with Marc Symington in a six-wicket victory over Lincolnshire in the Minor Counties Trophy, which qualified Northumberland for a second-round tie against Staffordshire at Porthill Park next Sunday.
“We have a good formula this season,” Nicholson said. “With batsmen like Brad (Parker) able to score runs quickly, it will give us more time to bowl out the opposition.”
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