DURHAM will meet Kent at Darlington on Saturday in the final of the County Championship Plate after beating Oxfordshire 34-26 at the Blackwell Meadows ground.

Mowden Park scrum half Martyn Lithgo proved a real livewire on his county debut and Durham University No 8 Philip Eggleshaw continued his excellent championship by scoring two tries. He was well supported by back row colleagues Kevin Showler and Alexander Waddingham.

Durham applied pressure from the kick-off and centre David Astle scored after nine minutes, but they twice fell behind and the quality of their handling left much to be desired.

Oxfordshire swept into a 14-5 lead after 22 minutes, but Durham grafted hard and in the absence of a regular kicker full back Iain Dixon landed a penalty. He also converted Eggleshaw’s first try for a 15-14 interval lead.

Fly half Matthew Gupta, who had injured an ankle, was replaced by Billingham’s Peter Evans, who converted his own try after Durham had again fallen behind. Lithgo added the fourth try, converted by Evans, and Eggleshaw completed the tally.

The last time Durham met Kent, their opponents in the final, was in 1989 at Blackheath, in a County Championship semi-final which Durham won 10-6. with a try by John Dixon of West Hartlepool and two penalties by the captain, Durham City’s Jonathan Bland. The match featured two players who went on to appear for England, Philip de Glanville at centre for Durham and ex- Blaydon flanker Mick Skinner for Kent.