AS a cricket fan and a member of Durham County Cricket Club, I’m used to missing out on hours of cricket lost through rain and the hardest to take, players going off for bad light with the floodlights glaring down.

But now we have a new threat to cricket with the cancellation of the Fifth Test match at Old Trafford after the Indian players refused to play due to fears of a further increase in Covid cases.

And then, for me, nearer to home, the game between Durham and Surrey which was due to start on August 30 was called off because an unnamed Surrey player tested positive for Covid.

As he had been in contact with other Surrey players, the four day game didn’t go ahead.

I’m still seething about the way Surrey have behaved and left wondering was that player fully vaccinated and if not, why not? And how many of the Surrey squad have been vaccinated against Covid?

Surrey have a huge squad and it seems to me that no effort was made by them to put a team together to face Durham.

This meant that supporters like me missed out on four days of cricket and Durham missed out on the possibility of a win.

What about the loss of revenue for Durham CCC plus all the catering firms involved?

I haven’t read anywhere whether Surrey have compensated Durham for failing to play that game, but my view is if that Surrey player had refused to have the vaccine, him and wealthy Surrey CCC should be made to pay for everyone who lost out on that Championship cricket game.

John Maughan, Wolsingham.

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