Durham cruised to victory on the second half of the FP final at Lord’s today. Hampshire showed little sign of making a serious attempt to chase down the runs as Collingwood and Plunkett picked off the batsmen.
The decision to let the final run onto a second day – unpopular with Aggers over on the TMS blog and no doubt with many Durham fans too – allowed Plunkers to redeem himself from yesterday’s disappointing display and finish with respectable figures of 3 for 42 and an economy of 4.66. I like Plunkett, but both Durham and England fans have learnt never to be sure what to expect of him. He can be wayward at times, and a leg-side full toss this afternoon was a stark reminder of that, but his very next over was a wicket maiden, an outstanding piece of cricket so late in a one-day innings. Hopefully a stint for his county will help him acquire the consistency that would make him a formidable and long-term part of England’s bowling attack.
Plunkett is not the only Durham player who may be a part of England’s future. Graham Onions continues to impress and it is hard to imagine that he will not have a chance to play for the national side soon. Equally, Mustard’s record should make him a contender to replace Prior if his poor form continues. And who can deny that they would relish the headlines that those two would engender?
Anyway, congratulations to Durham for their first title, and to Ottis Gibson for his man of the match award.