Durham’s opening County Championship fixture at the Riverside Ground has been indefinitely suspended due to damage caused by Storm Dave.

Durham issued a statement, about 90 minutes before the scheduled start of play: “Following Storm Dave hitting the North East in the early hours of Sunday morning, damage has been caused within the venue – therefore there will be no spectators permitted into the ground until further notice.

“The Club have been in discussions with the match officials and venue staff this morning and following the impact on the pitch and structures within the ground – it is confirmed that play will not commence on time, and a further update will be provided in due course.”

The statement also added that the ground safety team had decided the venue was unsafe for spectators until a further assessment had taken place. A subsequent notification, issued during the scheduled lunch break confirmed that the ground had been reopened but that the pitch would continue to be monitored by the umpires while it dried.

It is believed that the pitch suffered damage after the covers were blown off, exposing the surface to heavy rain, snow and high winds. A gantry used for TV cameras was also blown down during the night.

The postponement has dented Durham’s hopes of opening their campaign with victory, following their relegation from Division One last season. They had secured a lead of 221 with eight second-innings wickets in hand, after bowling Kent out for 197.