Durham Deserted

England won the toss and chose to bat first. At lunch they are apparently 85-1, though not many people have seen it.

The Riverside Ground is very quiet, as only about 3,000 tickets have been sold for today.

Maybe Chris Gayle has a point.

Durham has done its time, putting on tests against the lesser nations over the past couple of years. So why have they again been given an early season test when Cardiff gets to stage an Ashes Test for its first.

It really is no wonder that the people of Durham have decided to stay away. They should have the game against Australia, while Sophia Gardens should have staged this one.

The ECB needs to take a good look at its decision-making process.