Day-night cricket? Graham Onions has seen the light

red ball,” he says. “Spinners found the Duke ball really good because it gripped the surface more but we’re probably not expecting to see a lot of spin at Chester-le-Street over the next few days!

“Whether dew is going to have an effect I’m not sure, but the ball swings for a bit longer than a white ball — maybe ten or 15 overs. After that, you struggle to keep the shine on it.

“It looks smooth on the shiny side but it’s not like a red ball where you can get a really good buff on it.

“It lent itself to a little bit of reverse swing in Abu Dhabi but whether the lushness of the Riverside and the temperatures will allow that we’ll have to wait and see.”

Football, rugby, cricket and athletics all seem to have extra drama under lights. “Every single cricketer loves playing under lights, there’s just something about it,” Onions says.

“The lads played a normal Championship game against Glamorgan the other day and when the lights came on (because of cloudy skies), it was just something different.

“I suppose we’re being used a little bit as guinea pigs, but that’s fine by me. It’s up to us to prove it’s a good concept.

“Test-match cricket is the most important and best form of cricket as far as I’m concerned, even if some young cricketers are edging towards Twenty20 because that’s where the money is. If day-night cricket gets more people watching and enjoying it, that’s got to be a good thing.

“You’ve got to roll with it. It’s exciting. It’s an opportunity to

experiment and I think it will be good fun.”

As these matches are a dry run for Edgbaston, England have released Mark Wood, Ben Stokes and — for days one and two — Keaton Jennings to play for Durham, who will also have New Zealander Tom Latham making his debut. Moeen Ali will play for Worcestershire, as will Durham’s ex-Australia all-rounder John Hastings.

“When the England boys can play it’s important they do,” says Onions, who won nine Test caps. “It’s really good to get the kids in.

“The skill levels Stokesy and Woody have is exceptional.

“When you’re an England player coming back to your county there’s that responsibility to perform but they love playing for the club too.

“Ben doesn’t see it as a chore — every opportunity he gets he’s at the ground with us.

“Having him and the other guys involved will give everyone a buzz.”