Durham seal friendly boost

Durham will go into next Saturday’s season-opening Daily Telegraph Northern Counties League clash with Cheshire at Tyneside in good spirits.

The representative team enjoyed their day at Wearside Golf Club in an 11.5-6.5 pre-season friendly victory over the Teesside Union.

Durham lost the first two foursomes matches, but victory in the next four saw them take a 4-2 lead into the afternoon.

Gavin Nesbit (Boldon) teamed up with Michael Coupland (Rockliffe) for a 2&1 success, with Castle Eden’s Stuart Brown and Jack Trewhitt winning by two holes, as did the pairing of Andrew McCarrick (Boldon) and Sam Robinson (Tyneside).

John Napier (Wearside), a late replacement for Jordan Bettis, and Eaglescliffe’s Will Skipp completed the foursomes with another two-hole Durham win.

In the singles, Durham secured seven-and-a-half points. Former County champion Martin McCririck, Nesbit, Andrew Bell (Durham City), Jack Richardson (Durham City), Robinson and Skipp all won their games, whole Napier, McCarrick and Trewhitt contributed halves. * Washington’s Duran Gun and Adam Charlton (Ramside Hall) are in the Northern Counties select team to face Yorkshire Boys at Blackwell Grange on Monday. * Wearside’s Clark Cup hopes are over for another year, after a 3-2 preliminary round defeat at South Moor.