Paul Horton scores while bigger names don’t
Lancashire 143 (thanks to Mark Davies), Durham 114 (thanks to James Anderson and Andrew Flintoff), Lancashire 293 and Durham 28-3 (Flintoff again).
As it stands, that 293 looks out of place. What happened?
It was Paul Horton, Lancashire’s opener. No-one else in the match has passed 40. Horton made 108 before being run out.
For pace bowlers, all-rounders and depending on the overseas pro, spinners, Lancashire have been disgustingly rich for years, but their openers have been mediocre.
We like Mark Chilton and we like Iain Sutcliffe, even if we can’t bear to watch the latter bat, but neither is exceptional. Mark Chilton’s career average is 32. Sutcliffe’s is nearly 35. After 30 matches, Paul Horton averages 50.
Unsurprisingly, Horton was born in Sydney. He went to school in Liverpool though and yes, he’s aiming to play for England.
Cue comments from Australia about England not producing its own cricketers and retaliation from England about Australians not really doing so either, when you think about it - as well as something about dingos.
Who cares? The important thing is that we’re taking sides and arguing with each other and really, at the end of the day, isn’t that what it’s all about?