Paul Parker: 1992, my first ball for Durham - and Durham's first as a First Class County

Being in at the birth made the nerves jangle.

When our captain, David Graveney, announced that there was an audience awaiting me and John Glendenen, my opening partner, I felt disorientated.  The cold hut that does service as the away dressing-room in The Parks does not give a clear view of the pitch and I was unaware that the umpires and Oxford University’s side were already waiting for us in the freezing gloom.

The audience Graveney had meant, however, turned out to be a posse of photographers and journalists keen to record this unique moment.  I wished my wide-eyed partner good luck, as much to off-load some of my own nervousness as the import of our mission at last became crystal clear: we were the first batsmen to represent Durham in first-class cricket.

It was difficult to concentrate.  I took the first, historic ball but we were both nervous as our opening shots no doubt showed.  

Mine was a thick outside edge to third man to open Durham’s account; Glendenen’s was an involuntary uppish snick outside off stump, which evaded cover and trickled to the boundary.

I found my mind wandering.  I tried to think only “head still, watch the ball” but ended up asking myself, “what am I doing here?” It was a bit late to be pondering the ramifications of a decision taken late last summer.  After 17 years with Sussex, the chance to join Durham’s great adventure had offered perhaps the most exciting challenge of my cricket career.

Cold reality brought into sharp focus problems which had seemed easily solved from an armchair in mid-winter.  Was it wise to split up my family for the summer?  I have taken a flat in Durham, leaving my wife to guard the hearth and bring up the children until the summer holidays, when they will all join me.

Standing at the crease, I had an irrational but keen yearning to see my wife.  At once, I flayed at a wideish delivery and the ball came off an inside edge, hit my boot and trickled past my off stump.

I redoubled my efforts to concentrate. “Move your feet, bend the left knee.” Had I made the correct move? It would have been far easier to have been in the almost comforting surrounding of the antique pavilion at Hove.  Durham has no headquarters at present and practice in earnest only began at Boldon Cricket Club, north of Sunderland, on April 9.  I got lost three times on the outskirts of the city trying to find the ground.  At Hove, I had only to walk 300 yards from my front door.

With my score 18, I drove at a wide delivery and was put down – a difficult chance to mid-off.  The possibility of failure crossed my mind.  After all, I had been brought in to help to ensure a successful first-class launch. I watched Glendenen, a forceful right-hander, strike the ball imperiously to the boundary. Soon afterwards, I managed to get a boundary myself.  

Nature had finally taken over and my concentration improved as the doubts faded.  Our partnership and Durham were on their way.

By the time rain ended play at lunchtime on Tuesday, Parker was 50 not out and Durham were 119 for no wicket.  

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