THERE have been a number of black days in Durham's 11-year first-class history, but nothing quite so depressing as the events of yesterday evening.

The news that chairman Bill Midgley had resigned arrived just as the team were completing an appalling slump from a position of strength at lunchtime to a three-day defeat by Northamptonshire.

Unlike the last broadside from Midgley after last August's home defeat by Glamorgan well inside two days, the events were unrelated. His knee-jerk reaction at the time was to threaten that the club would abandon its policy of nurturing local talent if it did not produce a team to match the Riverside facilities.

This time he appears to have reacted solely to criticism from the members, some of whom have been moaning ever since they were presented with the wonderful opportunity to watch first-class cricket on their doorstep.

Midgley's attack on the players last season could probably be justified as a wake-up call and as a means of reassuring members that the board was not prepared to tolerate sub-standard performances.

I didn't agree with his sentiments because I support 100 per cent the youth policy and deplore the sight of local lads being put to the sword by backdoor Australians, as they were again yesterday.

But while the members delight in cameos like Gary Pratt's 150 on Wednesday, many of them can see little improvement in the overall picture.

The question is, who can deliver it? Midgley had the business acumen to keep the club afloat financially, but while Durham remain a fledgling club they have nobody with the necessary background knowledge of the first-class game.

Some of Midgley's fellow directors know more about the game than he did, including highly-respected vice-chairman Bob Jackson, who presumably will take over, even if only temporarily.

Midgley promised a more democratic approach than under his predecessor, Don Robson. But I understand not all of the board knew about coach Martyn Moxon's contract extension and the impression remained that the management structure left something to be desired.

Whether the sort of figurehead who could rectify all this actually exists is open to doubt.

He or she certainly won't be found among those members who appear to have driven Midgley out and as he was always well-intentioned and approachable they may come to regret their words.

Perhaps the next step will be for the club to become a public limited company, and who will listen to the members then?

Read more about Durham County Cricket Club here.