Durham Cricket Academy are away this weekend to Gateshead Fell with both sides still looking for their first win of the 2014 Duke’s North East Premier League.
After last weekend’s defeat to Sunderland, Gateshead sit bottom of the table with four defeats from their opening five matches.
Durham are 38 points above their opponents but have drawn four of their five matches to leave themselves in eight place.
Collingwood captained Durham to the 2013 title
Durham fans are still hopeful that they can retain the title despite the clubs modest start to the 2014 LV County Championship season.
The North East side have drawn all four of their County Championship matches this season to leave themselves only above Northamptonshire in the table.
Nevertheless, fans are remaining positive for the moment.
Bowling in the nets in visually impaired cricket
Durham Visually Impaired Cricket Club is the only visually impaired cricket team in the North East, but they still struggle to get enough players.
Visually impaired cricket is a specially adapted form of the game designed to be played people who are partially-sighted or fully blind.
And six years ago, after various failed attempts, the Durham club was established but running it can be difficult.
Sunderland group together against Sheffield last season
After promotion last season, the University of Sunderland men’s cricket team are in the highest league they have ever been in – but their ambition does not stop there.
Sunderland were undefeated in the league in the 2013 season and as such they now compete in the British Universities and Colleges, or BUCS, Northern 2B division.
Seamer Chris Rushworth has signed a new contract with Durham that will keep him at the club until 2017.
The 27-year-old has already taken 15 wickets in the 2014 LV County Championship and his consistency has been rewarded.
He made his first class debut in 2010 against Yorkshire and has since gone on to form a useful new-ball partnership with Graham Onions.
Durhams Borthwick played for England against Australia
Ben Stokes. Scott Borthwick. Mark Wood. These are the players that have come through Durham’s system to be involved in full England or Lions squads in 2013.
But is the rest of the North East feeling the benefit and enjoying the same levels of success?
South Northumberland remain top of the Dukes North East Premier League after a 54-run victory away to Whitburn.
Whitburn won the toss and elected to bowl, restricting South Northumberland to 175-8 of 65 overs.
But the wicket was difficult to score on and Whitburn were all-out for just 121, with the defeat leaving them tenth in the table.
Paul Collingwood inspired the Durham Jets to a winning Natwest T20 Blast debut as they beat Worcestershire Rapids by 29 runs.
The former England player smashed 62 runs of just 38 deliveries and then took 3-29, including the wicket of the Rapids top scorer Richard Oliver.
Collingwood was well supported with the bat by Scottish international Calum MacLeod who scored 80 not out on his debut.
New captain Du Toit has high hopes for Newcastle
Newcastle Cricket Club are still hoping to improve despite last year’s record breaking Dukes North East Premier League season.
The club’s first team finished fourth in the 2013 Premier Division which was their highest ever league position.
Du Toit showing his class with the bat for Newcastle
Jacques Du Toit is the current Newcastle CC captain but he didn’t always want to be a cricketer – first he played rugby.
The 34-year-old said: “When I was 17 I got injured and I couldn’t play that season as a rugby player so I started playing cricket. That was basically that.”
Cricket: North East 