Riverside's realms of fantasy

IF THE West Indies performed in Test matches as they did against Durham yesterday it would be possible to imagine England winning occasionally. These are the realms of fantasy, of course. When the tourists resume the serious stuff at Lord's on Thursday, they will be industrious in the field instead of lethargic and, even if they remain capable of producing no- balls at any time, the legal ones in between will be perpetually menacing.

There were all manner of fielding lapses, 25 no-balls and a general impression that motions were being gone through at the Riverside. Nothing demonstrated that this was about as far removed from a Test match as you could get more clearly than the introduction of spin to the attack before the first hour was out. Whatever else happens at Lord's, that will not.

It was all perfectly pleasant and when you have lost six successive Championship matches, as Durham have, are bottom of the table and sliding, runs in any form are welcome. Almost 70 arrived in extras. Those from the bat were scored most sweetly by John Morris, with most determination by Mike Roseberry and with unlikely freedom by just about everybody else.

There would not have been a rush to the bookmakers to discover the odds on this after the completion of the day's first over when the Durham opener Jon Longley sparred at a wide one from Ian Bishop and was comfortably pouched at slip. Durham have lost early wickets quickly for most of the summer and, as they have lost middle order and late ones at a similar rate, the traditional collapse seemed a distinct possibility.

Morris batted in the grand style. He drove and pulled effortlessly and, on a pitch as immature as this one, that is not an easy trick to perform. His innings lasted 92 balls but that was the aspect of it that was hurried.

Roseberry was never so assured. Here was a man out of form and looking it. He followed the ball and it followed him, but he stuck at the task, willing himself to discover that such a commodity as good form does indeed exist. Maybe he had not quite got there when he was leg before half forward to Bishop, but he must have felt nearer than at any time since returning to his native county from Middlesex.

The second-wicket pair put on 149 in two hours. Runs accrued charmingly throughout the innings thereafter. None of the rest failed, none was a resounding success but it was all loved by a crowd of over 6,000.

There was still some serious business for the West Indies to conduct. They have a bowler to find for the second Test in place of Kenny Benjamin, who will almost certainly be absent with strained muscles in his side. The replacement will not be the leg spinner Rajendra Dhanraj. The place rests between Ottis Gibson, who was profligate with the new ball before he left the field with an ankle injury, and Winston Benjamin, who was not especially incisive.

Much of the crowd doubtless turned up to see Lara. Last time he played against Durham, for Warwickshire, he made his world-record score. There is no chance of that on this pitch, but Durham will still be glad to see the back of him. He made his mark on the proceedings by collecting three catches in the slips between chats with his chums.

The innings will have done Durham nothing but good and will not have done the tourists any lasting harm. In the context of both the Championship and the Test series, it was all probably meaningless.