Where are they now? Durham – Minor Counties champions 1980

By Neil Fissler

Peter Crane believes that the seeds for Durham becoming a first-class county and joining the County Championship were sown during the most successful period in their history.

Between 1976 and 1982 Durham went 65 games unbeaten – a record that remains unbeaten.

They also won the Minor Counties Championship in 1976, 1980, 1981 and then a record-equalling seventh time in 1984.

Five years later Durham began the process that would see them take their place as the newest first class county for 70 years and make their Championship debut in 1992.

Crane, a Durham batting mainstay between 1973-83, said:  “There was always talk about us joining the County Championship and it was a big thing when it happened.

“Our record run in the Minor Counties Championship sowed the seeds. Staffordshire beat us at Stockton one day to end that  incredible run. We played a lot of attacking cricket.

“We always declared after 55 overs and  went into nearly every game thinking we were going to win.

“After going 60 odd games without losing we were a very confident side and also the side didn’t change much in terms of players being available. It was very rare that we put out a weakened side. Even if someone wasn’t available we always had a strong player to bring in.”

Crane believes  it was the strong league scene around the North-East that helped the County become so successful.

He says most of the side were drawn from the Durham Senior League which has long been one of the strongest in the country.

The reputation of the league is such that they found it easy to attract top class overseas stars – which also aided Durham’s quest for honours.

“We had a very, very strong league system in our area in the the Durham Senior League and the North Yorkshire & South Durham League,” he said.

“Certainly during a large part of the successful run the Durham Senior League supplied the majority of the team.

“Neil Riddell who became the captain was from the North Yorkshire League, but the majority of this side were from the Durham Senior League.

“The odd one, like Ian Wishart,  played in the Tyneside Senior League, but it was a very strong league system that helped us.

“Coupled with that we had a very strong overseas contingent.  We could have two overseas players at a time.

“In 1980 we had New Zealand all-rounder Lance Cairns and Pakistan international Wasim Raja playing for us. That accounted for our success really.”

BACK ROW (left-right):
Allan Reed: The Durham scorer was a school teacher and shared the scoring duties with Brian Hunt.
Stephen Greensword: A batsman who has done various jobs,  including milkman, sport shop owner and working for a training agency
Paul Romaines: An opening batsman whose grandfather Billy also played for Durham. He is now on the teaching staff and an assistant house master at Clifton College in Bristol.
Peter Kippax: The batsman started his bat-making business in Leeds in 1976 which is now run by son Chris. Peter now suffers from Alzheimer’s.
Lance Cairns: New Zealand international all-rounder. His son Chris also represented his country. Lance helped run a fudge business after owning a fruit farm.
Johnny Johnston: A seamer who worked in a timber yard before his death in Stockton-on-Tees in June 2008 aged 55.
Peter Crane: A batsman, he worked in marketing and was later a business studies teacher for 28 years and has been secretary of Boldon Cricket Club.

SEATED:
Chris Thomas: A spinner who is now a maths teacher at Yarm School in Stockton-on-Tees. He is also master in charge of cricket.
Peter Birtwisle: A lower order batsman who became an MCC coach as well as a dispensing optician with the family business, the Northern Optical Company in Newcastle upon Tyne.
Neil Riddell: A batsman who spent a decade as Durham captain. He now lives in Merrybent near Darlington and ran a family roofing business for almost 25 years.
Steve Atkinson: Opening batsman who also played for Netherlands in the 1986 ICC Trophy. A teacher who worked in Hong Kong for 24 years until retiring.
Richard Mercer: A wicket-keeper born in Stockholm, he was Tynedale Council’s director of recreation before his death from lung cancer in Hexham in October 1996 aged 45.

NOT PICTURED:
Wasim Raja: A Pakistan international spinner, he became a teacher in Caterham, Surrey and was an ICC referee before his death in August 2006 aged 54.
Shaun Stokoe: The batsman is now managing director of Shaun Stokoe electrical services in Consett, County Durham.
Paddy Shivalkar: A Bombay-born spinner was a professional singer. He has served his native Mumbai as chief selector and coach.
Simon Daniels: A seamer who has been a quantity surveyor with the Potter Raper Partnership since 1983 and is now a partner heading up the London office.
Stuart Wilkinson: A fast bowler who lives in Edschester, Co Durham and spent all of his working life in the civil service.
Dhiraj Parsana: An Indian international all rounder who became a groundsman and has been on the pitches and grounds committee of BCCI
Hash Maitra: The batsman became a chartered civil engineer and is regional manager for civil engineering firm AECOM
Ian Wishart: The seamer runs the family butcher business in Greenside, Ryton, Tyne & Wear.

This piece originally featured in The Cricket Paper on Friday November 20, 2015