Cricket chiefs will dish out new extreme heat contingency plans to all first-class venues with fears that Tuesday’s temperatures at Durham will soon be repeated.
The ECB could consider themselves fortunate that the game was being played so far north rather than in London where temperatures topped 40 degrees.
With England bowler Matthew Potts leaving the field with heat exhaustion after bowling four overs, there is every chance a game further south may well have had to be called off due to a danger to life for both players and spectators.
Instead the quick action of staff at the Riverside in providing extra water for fans and setting up cooling rooms out of the sun as temperatures hovered around 37 degrees played a massive part in averting a crisis.
An ECB spokesperson said: “Durham worked quickly and effectively to provide support for spectators and help ensure their safety in the unprecedented conditions.
“The response of the club’s staff to provide additional water and information on how to access cooler areas was welcomed by fans in attendance. We continue to work with all our venues to plan the best ways to ensure spectator safety.”
The Riverside posed a particularly unique challenge in so far as there was next to no shade available at all within view of the playing area.
It made for some brutal viewing conditions at times with several fans choosing to miss parts of the game in order to enjoy some respite. And it was often at these moments that staff stepped in with water and advice to help people through the day.
On social media Michael Jepson wrote: "I’d just like to say a massive thank you to the Durham staff standing for hours on end handing out water today. The 3/4 behind the County Durham Stand stood there for 5+ hours filling up so much water. Credit to club."
