It was the perfect advert for a region which has been English cricket’s most fertile ground for the production of fast bowlers since Durham were granted first-class status in 1992.

As well as the three playing in Multan, and the Ashington lads Harmison and Wood, Durham have provided Simon Brown, Liam Plunkett and Graham Onions to England. There have been other outstanding domestic bowlers who did not quite make the grade, such as Mark Davies, Chris Rushworth and Ben Raine. The production line has been so efficient that Neil Killeen, who took 262 first-class wickets for the county, is now England’s elite men’s fast bowling coach.

“It’s actually quite incredible when you think about it,” says Onions, who is now Durham’s bowling coach, took 32 wickets in nine Tests and would have played much more had his career not coincided with James Anderson. “We have a track record of producing talented and skilful bowlers which is part of it. The next bit is up to the individual to push themselves to the top level.”

Ask Harmison, and the credit goes to two men. Geoff Cook, the county’s first first-class captain who would go on to run the academy, then the first team. He had a special eye for a cricketer, and trawled the pit villages searching for tough players, then worked them hard. Then John Windows took over the academy from Cook, and built on his work. Onions echoes this.

“The North East is a tough area,” says Onions. “Potentially Durham players have to deal with a bit more in terms of tough upbringings. They’ve had to work a lot of stuff out themselves, a bit more on your own, problem solving. There’s a passionate sporting culture in the area, strong, tough leagues. I also believe Durham give young, local players opportunity at every level, which helps their development, including the first team. Geoff Cook built a quality academy and it continues to produce players under John Windows.”

Durham the most ‘Bazball’ team in county game

The current Durham first team, managed by two west Australians in head coach Ryan Campbell and Marcus North, with input from Stokes, whose best man Scott Borthwick is club captain, have been the most conspicuously “Bazball” team on the county circuit. Where once the Riverside was known for green seamers, now it has flat pitches that encourage attacking cricket and build tough quicks like Potts and Carse, who was born in South Africa but has been with Durham since he was 16 and is even a Sunderland supporter.

Onions points to the fact that one bowler brings another, with Potts and Carse inspired by the success of Stokes and Wood.

“Without a doubt each one inspires the next,” he says. “I had Steve Harmison when I was young. I could see what was required to play for England, and knew I needed to do it even better. Harmy was No 1 in the world, a fantastic role model. Mark Davies, Liam Plunkett. So many great bowlers. Realistically I had to leapfrog all those guys if I wanted to play for Durham, let alone England.”

This season’s County Championship told us the well is not about to run dry. Right-armer Daniel Hogg, 19 years old and 6ft 7in tall, took seven for 66 on first-class debut against Nottinghamshire, before 16-year-old left-arm quick James Minto made a very striking impression against the champions, Surrey.