IT HAS been quite a week for the ones who got away. I was delighted for Martin Saggers when he took a wicket with his first ball in a home Test, and even quite chuffed for Brad Hodge when he completed double centuries in successive matches.

To deal with Saggers first, it's worth noting that two members of England's attack in the Headingley Test would probably never have played first-class cricket were it not for Durham's elevation from a minor county.

Stephen Harmison would never have left Ashington, and after trials with several counties it was almost by chance that Saggers came to Durham's attention when playing for the Minor Counties XI at Riverside in a Benson & Hedges Cup tie.

He had Mike Roseberry and Sherwin Campbell caught behind by Oxfordshire's J N Batty, now captain of Surrey, and the first-class future which appeared to have escaped him became a reality shortly afterwards, when he had just turned 24.

His debut was inauspicious, with match figures of one for 122 in 24 maidenless overs against Essex at Hartlepool. But he was a bright lad, a quick and dedicated learner and I always remember him having the good grace to thank Durham for what they had done for him when they released him at the end of the 1998 season.

John Wood, who was among those preferred, took 61 championship wickets that season while Saggers played only twice. While the former opted to become a well-paid prop to Lancashire's star cast, Saggers seized the chance to lead what was then an impoverished Kent seam attack, and while he was making his home Test debut Wood was playing for Lancashire seconds against Durham.

Moving on to Hodge, he was another very likeable fellow who couldn't believe his own - or Durham's - misfortune when he broke a thumb in the nets a few days after arriving at Riverside two years ago as a replacement for broken finger victim Martin Love.

In the little time available to him after he recovered he failed to sparkle, making a top score of 73 in eight championship innings. But in the last 13 months he has made 14 first-class centuries, nine for Leicestershire and five for Victoria, culminating in his 221 against Derbyshire at Oakham School last week.

YESTERDAY was the tenth anniversary of Brian Lara's 501 not out against Durham. I was reminded of this when perusing the list of those who have been first to 1,000 first-class runs in the last ten years.

Kent's Robert Key reached the target on June 2 this year, four days earlier than Lara in 1994 and in between the fastest was Justin Langer for Middlesex on June 27, 1998. The last person to make 1,000 before the end of May was Graeme Hick in 1988.

IN case it looks as though Durham hadn't honoured their promise to send a full-strength team for Blackhall's 75th anniversary match on Thursday, it should be pointed out that Shoaib Akhtar was ill, Gary Pratt and Nicky Peng had been summoned to Headingley to help Paul Collingwood with 12th man duties and there was a second team game in progress against Lancashire.

The side therefore featured Trent Kelly, an Australian friend of Marcus North's who is playing for Gateshead Fell, and the team's physio Nigel Kent. The latter was apparently a little concerned about facing Marlon Black but caused much merriment in the dressing room by making 25 not out.

TICKETS for the one-day international at Riverside on June 29 have sold out, except for around 100 in the Hospitality Village. The capactiy was set at 12,000.

There has also been huge demand for Twenty20 tickets, with 50 per cent already sold for the first home match against Lancashire on July 9. Members are advised that they need to get tickets in advance.

THE next event in Jon Lewis's benefit calendar has been dubbed Two Lives of Brian - From Policing to Politics, and involves Brian Mackenzie of Framwellgate, better known these days as Lord Mackenzie.

Whether he knows a googly from a chinaman I'm not certain, but he obviously has a tale to tell, not to mention a book to sell. The evening, at Riverside on June 25, will also feature mezzo soprano Kath Ireland, the Chester-le-Street Riverside Band and a sale of water colours by David Hughes. A donation of £18 is recommended and tickets are available from Tom Moffat, 11 Windermere Avenue, Chester-le-Street, DH2 3DU.

TIME was when four of us travelled the country in pursuit of Durham - three hacks and a radio man. Now it's just me, so there's little wonder that some of the other papers are not totally familiar with the Durham players.

A recent Durham squad included an A Jarvis, according to one evening paper. Andy Jarvis is the media man who sends out the team and signs his own name on the end.