A LARGE crowd turned out at Raby Castle for the visit of the ICC World Cup trophy and a special challenge match between a Durham CCC XI and a Sir Ian Botham XI.
The trophy was on display as part of a nationwide tour ahead of this summer's Cricket World Cup, with Durham CCC's Riverside ground at Chester-le-Street one of the host venues.
Many visitors took the chance to have their picture taken with the trophy and stayed on to watch the action.
The game followed the format of the ECB's new 100 ball competition, which will be introduced next season.
In the event, the Durham CCC XI eased to a comfortable victory.
Full report and lots more pictures in next week's Mercury.