HOW sad that so soon after the dream of Test match cricket in Durham had been realised, the club should be torn apart by controversy.

On the day Durham were beaten with a day to spare by Northamptonshire, chairman Bill Midgley walked and suddenly all the optimism has turned to bitterness.

Although his resignation came as a shock last night, it is clearly the result of deep-rooted unrest which must have been brewing behind the scenes for some time.

It is a classic case of a moderniser clashing with traditionalists, leaving serious doubts about the ambitions of a sporting institution which has played an increasingly important part in promoting this region to an international audience.

We live in an age when, like it or not, sport is big business. Financial stability is everything and Bill Midgley came with the expertise to help Durham compete at the highest level.

As the former highly respected managing director of Newcastle Building Society, and with a strong profile in business circles, his commercial credibility was of enormous value.

An Ashes Test against Australia in 2005 was the next dream but, suddenly, the future does not look nearly as bright, with division and bitterness replacing the recent celebrations over the Zimbabwe Test and the arrival of the world's fastest bowler, Shoaib Akhtar.

No one is indispensable and Durham County Cricket Club is bigger than any individual, Bill Midgley included.

But it will not be easy to find a successor who can find the right balance between tradition and the harsh business realities of modern-day sport.