Poor weather means campaign ends in damp squib for Durham

PLAY was abandoned on the final day of the County Championship Division Two match between Durham and Glamorgan without a ball being bowled, ending the contest as a draw at the Riverside.

Conditions which prevented play on Wednesday did not improve at Chester-le-Street overnight, leaving the already drenched outfield increasingly sodden by 9.00.

The umpires made the early decision to call off the game, despite a bright forecast in the afternoon.

The draw ended Glamorgan’s hopes of beating out Gloucestershire for the final promotion spot, finishing 15 points off the pace of third place.

The Welsh outfit finished in fourth after taking seven points from the game, while Durham were one spot behind in fifth to end the campaign. Durham captain Ned Eckersley said: “It has has been a very wet week.

“The groundstaff did their utmost to try to get us out there but it was not meant to be.

“We would have loved to have finished the season with a win at home. Unfortunately, the weather took charge of this fixture and it petered out into a damp squib.”

■ DURHAM and England all-rounder Ben Stokes is one of the four names in contention for the NatWest PCA Players’ Player of the Year Award, which will be handed out at the 50th edition of the annual NatWest PCA Awards on Wednesday, October 2.

Stokes has been shortlisted alongside Essex off-spinner Simon Harmer, Gloucestershire all-rounder Ryan Higgins and Warwickshire opener Dom Sibley for the headline award.