By Neil Fissler
David Graveney might have been born in Bristol and played the vast majority of his cricket in the West Country but his family were very much from the North-East.
The Graveney family had firmly established Northumberland roots with his father Ken hailing from Hexham and uncle Tom from Riding Mill.
So it was probably quite fitting that he should be chosen to captain the newest first-class county for more than 70 years – since Glamorgan in 1921 – in their first season in the County Championship in 1992.
Graveney said: “Durham’s board of directors worked tirelessly for a long period of time to get first-class status either with Northumberland or as a stand- alone county.
“At that time, change was not seen as a good thing and it took a lot of lobbying. But the commercial interests in the North-East got behind the club.
“And they got together a side with some players who, like me, were in the winter of their careers rather than the autumn.
“Obviously the signing of Ian Botham created a lot of interest as did that of Dean Jones, who scored a lot of runs in that first season.”
After a pre-season tour of Zimbabwe and a drawn warm-up game against Oxford University the big day of their Championship debut arrived on April 25.
Graveney won the toss at The Racecourse ground in Durham and decided to bat but they struggled and slumped to 96-5 against Leicestershire and it was only 77 from former England and Sussex batsman Paul Parker that saved them from complete humiliation.
They eventually struggled to 164 while, in reply, Leicestershire made 342. Durham improved in their second innings but it was not good enough as they were bowled out for 318.
Leicestershire needed 141 to win the opening match of the season which they achieved with the loss of three wickets to show there is little sentiment in sport.
Durham were to win two games in that season against Glamorgan by an innings and 104 runs and then seeing off Botham’s former county Somerset by eight wickets but they still finished bottom of the pile.
Graveney points out that the whole season was a hard learning curve for everyone connected with the sport in the North-East.
He said: “The sporting expectation in the North-East is very high and I spent a lot of time walking around the ground speaking to the members.
“I even spent a lot of time in the Press box helping the local journalists who were probably football reporters because cricket is a difficult game to cover if you are not used to it.
“And we almost had to get changed in shifts because of the sheer amount of equipment that first-class cricketers carry around with them.
“I think every member of every club wanted us to do well but we always had realistic expectations that first season.”
BACK ROW (left-right):
Sue Job: Is now a physiotherapist working in private practice.
Steve McEwan: Seamer who became an accountant and is now a management accountant at Smart Stabilizer Systems in Worcester.
Paul Henderson: Batsman. He is living in his native Stockton-on-Tees where he has worked in the catering and licensed trade, running his own pub.
John Glendenen: Batsman who hails from Middlesbrough. Spent many years in security but is now a salesman for TAG Teamwear in his hometown.
Simon Brown: Left-arm fast bowler who became Durham’s first England Test cap. Has worked for Northern Rock and Royal Bank of Scotland and has been sales director at PcW.
Stewart Hutton: Batsman who, after retiring, went back to university for a second degree and went into teaching. Has also been cricket coach at Scarborough College.
Phil Berry: Spinner. Lives in Redcar where he works as a groundsman at the racecourse which is managed by his brother Stephen as his father John had done before him.
Mark Briers: Batsman who became a teacher at Cheltenham College. Has been rackets and cricket professional for more than 20 years.
Brian Hunt: Former county council joiner from Bishop Auckland. Has been the Durham scorer for more than 40 years but is retiring at the end of this coming season.
FRONT ROW (left-right):
Chris Scott: Wicketkeeper/batsman has been coaching Cambridge University where he is also head of PE since retiring from the first-class game in 2000.
Simon Hughes: Right-arm seamer who became a writer with The Independent and Daily Telegraph as well as a broadcaster and analyst.
Ian Botham: Record-breaking all-rounder who captained England. Also played League football for Scunthorpe. Lives in North Yorkshire and commentates for Sky Sports.
David Graveney: Left-arm spinner who played for Gloucestershire. A qualified chartered accountant, he was England’s chairman of selectors and is now the ECB’s national performance manager.
Paul Parker: Batsman. Played one Test for England. Teaches classics and modern languages at Tonbridge School, Kent, and was master of Hillside house.
Dean Jones: Australian Test batsman. Has worked as a coach for Islamabad United in the PSL as well as a pundit for Australian television.
Wayne Larkins: England batsman who has worked as a milkman and is now living in Kenilworth, Warwickshire.
NOT PICTURED:
Phil Bainbridge: Batsman. Became involved in marketing in Durham. Now runs Rhodes Event management and teamwear in Bristol.
Gary Brown: All-rounder who, like his brother Keith, played for Middlesex. Lives in Burnmoor where he has played cricket and is a policeman.
Jimmy Daley: Batsman. Lives in Hetton-le-Hole and is a welder running his own company JA Daley Ltd.
Andy Fothergill: Wicketkeeper/ batsman. Lives in Darlington and is a director and production manager of TAG Teamwear in Middlesbrough.
Ian Smith: All-rounder who emigrated to South Africa after retiring and works in a Johannesburg factory.
John Wood: Seamer. Has worked in the staffing and recruitment industry for Michael Page and is now a consultant with Watson Moore.
This piece originally featured in The Cricket Paper, Friday February 5 2016
