by Adam Lanigan, BBC Sport England
Quite simply, Durham have been far, far too good for Division Two. With the players they have been able to use this season, they would be more than a match for every single side in the division above.
A shocking batting collapse at Headingley on the final day of last season sent Durham back into Division Two after two years in the top flight, and they have played all season with a determination to erase that painful memory.
David Bedingham was the leading run-scorer in the division with 1,029 runs before he had to leave early to prepare for South Africa’s Test series with Australia next month.
That included five centuries, two more than Emilio Gay, who hit three hundreds in six matches in early season to catapult him into the England Test team.
Matthew Potts has not featured for that side since the Ashes last winter, but England’s loss has been Durham’s gain with 58 wickets – the leading wicket-taker in the Championship this summer.
Throw in other strong contributions from captain Alex Lees and fellow opening batter Ben McKinney and the evergreen Ben Raine as Potts’ new-ball partner and it’s clear to see why the north east county have sailed to promotion.
And that’s before we even mention Ben Stokes. Durham were already top at the time of his fallout with England in June, but Stokes has thrown himself wholeheartedly into Championship cricket since announcing stepping down as England captain and announcing his retirement from Tests.
Stokes has contributed with bat and ball and to add arguably world cricket’s finest player from the last decade to Durham’s side has made them untouchable.
Look at the margin of their victories, two by an innings, 10 wickets, nine wickets, eight wickets, 338 runs, they have usually been far too good for their opponents.
The title is only a matter of time as they must surely go down as the strongest second-tier team since two divisions were introduced in 2000.
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