Durham’s opening County Championship fixture at the Riverside Ground has been indefinitely suspended due to damage caused by Storm Dave.
The contest against Kent was unable to resume on the third morning of the fixture, after the storm had hit the ground overnight. The venue has been closed to spectators in the meantime, and a resumption in play is unlikely in the immediate future.
Durham issued a statement, about 90 minutes before the scheduled start of play: “Following Storm Dave hitting the North East in the early hours of Sunday morning, damage has been caused within the venue – therefore there will be no spectators permitted into the ground until further notice.
“The Club have been in discussions with the match officials and venue staff this morning and following the impact on the pitch and structures within the ground – it is confirmed that play will not commence on time, and a further update will be provided in due course.
“Until further assessment have taken place our ground safety team have decided it is unsafe to allow spectators into the venue. The ground will remain closed to members and spectators until further notice. Please do not travel to Banks Homes Riverside for today’s play.”
It is believed that the pitch may have suffered damage after the covers were blown off, exposing the surface to heavy rain, snow and high winds. A gantry used for TV cameras was also blown down during the night.
The postponement has dented Durham’s hopes of opening their campaign with victory, following their relegation from Division One last season. They had secured a lead of 221 with eight second-innings wickets in hand, after bowling Kent out for 197.
