The Line & Length Monday XI

To celebrate Durham winning their first County Championship title, this week's quiz is all about the lads from the North East.

Question 1 In what year were Durham admitted to the County Championship, 110 years after the county side was formed?

Question 2 Two other counties joined the County Championship in the 20th century, one in 1905 and one in 1921, who were they?

Question 3 Durham's first captain as a first-class county was a 39-year-old former Gloucestershire and Somerset slow left-arm bowler, but he was to achieve greater fame in what role after leaving Durham?

Question 4 Which Australia batsman was Durham's first overseas player?

Question 5 Which future England opening batsman was the only member of the Oxford University side to take a Durham wicket in their first first-class game?

Question 6 Durham's first century stand in first-class cricket came in their second innings, with the No 4 and No 6 batsmen adding 178 runs together. The two men in question had played together in one Test match in 1981 against Australia. Who were they?

Question 7 Which future England fast bowler was born in Co Durham in 1949 but moved first to Surrey and then Warwickshire to fulfil his ambitions of playing international cricket?

Question 8 Who were the first international sides to play at the Riverside, in 1999?

Question 9 Who was the first Durham player to be selected by England while playing for the county?

Question 10 Since the answer to No 9, five other Durham players have been picked by England. Who are they?

Question 11 What other trophy did Durham win this season?

Comments

[Patrick Kidd]

Nine and a half for you, John. You're the first to remember Phil Mustard's place in history but you're only half-right on Q6 and Q8 is wrong.

[Johnmc]

Apologies Dava - didn't realise Willis was from Sunderland. Terrible error to compare him to Shearer - Willis was a far better captain of England for one thing (not saying much though)

[John]

1) 1992
2) Northants and Glamorgan
3) David Graveney - Chairman of Selectors
4) Dean Jones
5) Jason Gallian
6) Graeme Fowler & Ian Botham
7) Bob Willis
8) South Africa & Zimbabwe
9) Ian Botham
10) S Brown, S Harminson, P Collingwood, L Plunkett & P Mustard
11) Second XI championship

[Patrick Kidd]

Eight and three-tenths right for you, Martin. Onions hasn't yet been picked by an England senior side so you are still missing one on Q10 and Q6 is only half-right.

As well as Q11, you haven't got Q8 right but the rest are correct.

[Dava Mccamm]

John Mac

I doubt very much that Willis would sound like She**er, as he was fortunately born in Dykelands Road in SUNDERLAND!

[Martin - Sydney]

1 - 1992
2 - Northants & Glamorgan
3 - David Graveney
4 - Dean Jones
5 - Jason Gallian
6 - Wayne Larkins & Ian Botham
7 - Bob Willis
8 - South Africa & Kenya(?)
9 - Ian Botham
10 - Collingwood, Harmison, Plunkett, Onions, Brown
11 - ?

[Patrick Kidd]

Hi Mark, You got five and three-tenths right (ie, you got four of the five answers to Q10 and were only half right to Q6). Keep guessing!

[Mark]

Hi Patrick,

1. 1992
2. Northants (1905) and Glamorgan (1921)
3. David Graveney, who of course became chairman of selectors.
4. David Boon
5. Steve James
6. Ian Botham and Peter Willey?
7. Bob Willis
8. No idea!
9. John Morris?
10. Harmison, Collingwood, Plunkett, Onions, Simon Brown
11. Friends Provident?

[Patrick Kidd]

Hi John
You got seven and four-fifths right and you're only just shy of getting eight right because I realised I should have written five Durham players have played for England since 1992 rather than four. Then again, your answers to Q2 and Q6 are only half-points.

[Johnmc]

1) 1992
2) Hampshire and Glamorgan
3) David Graveney - Lord High Priest of the ECB or whatever his title ended up as. Chairman of selectors anyway
4) David Boon
5) Jason Gallian
6) Geoff Cook and Ian Botham
7) Bob Willis (I hope this is right as I want to imagine him with a broad North-Eastern accent. I want to think that it would make him more interesting but suspect he would just sound like Alan ZZZZZZZZZZZZZhearer)
8) South Africa & Zimbabwe
9) I T Botham
10) Simon Brown, Paul Collingwood, Steven Harmison and Liam Plunkett
11)2nd XI championship