Why Did Durham Have to Wait a Day to Score 4 Runs?
The County Championship witnessed one of the most dramatic finishes. In the match between Durham and Gloucestershire, Durham needed four runs to win where umpires called the day due to bad light. The team had to wait for one day, just to play an over and finish the game.
The County Championship has seen some of the most bizarre endings in the history of the game. But the one which happened in the game between Durham and Gloucestershire will be holding a different place in the record books. Durham looked strong across all the days in which the game was played.
On day three, the team needed just four runs to chase down the target and beat Gloucestershire. However, no one thought they would have to wait for a whole day to complete the remaining four runs in the game.
The umpires noticed issues with the lighting during the game and the skies were heavily clouded, which created visibility issues. Due to this reason, the match was called off on day three, and Durham had to wait for a whole day to chase down the remaining four runs. On day four, the match finished in just an over.
Our Take
Being an umpire is also not an easy task in the game, especially when the conditions of bad light arrive. Durham needed just four runs to win the game, and at this moment, the umpires stood in a dilemma. If they call off the day, they would face backlash that the match is being carried on to another day for just four runs. And if they didn't call off the game, they would be facing questions on how Durham was allowed to bat in such conditions.