THE inclement weather did nothing to dampen the enthusiasm of supporters who turned up to roar on England as they took on the West Indies in the North-East.

Torrential rain that marred the first day of the fourth test at the Riverside, in Chester-le-Street, held off over the weekend.

And despite dark clouds continuing to linger, the Barmy Army provided a colourful presence.

All manner of costumes were on show, including Mr T and Batman and Robin.

There was also a knight, but newly honoured Sir Ian Botham chose a suit and tie rather than a suit of armour as he was cheered by the crowds.

Play finally got under way at 2pm on Saturday after a further three-hour rain delay.

There were no grumbles from fans attending yesterday's play.

Harry Wilson, a 57-year-old deputy headteacher from Langley Park, County Durham, said: "This is a great social event. Some parts of the crowd are very vocal at cricket matches after they have had a few pints.

"But they are just having fun and that is the main thing."

Dave Rawlinson, a 54-year-old accountant, travelled to the region from Bedford.

He said: "It is a very relaxed atmosphere and cricket is not overly exciting, but it is enjoyable to watch.

"It is very friendly and you can intermingle with other supporters. It is not like football."

It was 27-year-old computer programmer Neil Wood's first cricket match.

He said: "It has been a lot of fun and the atmosphere is great.

"I have bought myself a hat, so I do not think this will be my last match."

Chester-le-Street District Council closed one of the sports pitches that was due to be used as a car park, meaning some people had to walk further to get to the ground, but it did pose any major problems.

Durham County Cricket Club's chief executive, David Harker, said that more than 30,000 people had watched the play over the past two days.

He said: "It was disappointing that we could not get started on Friday, but the last two days have been fantastic.

"In terms of hosting international sport, there is nothing else in the region on this scale.

"This is a great example of what this club can do. It is a real success story."

Play will continue today and tomorrow.