SO another Riverside international has passed without producing any drama, and in this case those who paid good money to witness an England flop are entitled to bemoan the absence of Michael Vaughan.

His one-day record has prompted some to suggest he shouldn't even be in the team, but England clearly miss his captaincy.

Mind you, I'd much rather see Paul Collingwood, Andrew Strauss or even Darren Gough put in charge than Marcus Trescothick, who couldn't captain a canal barge. That much was obvious when he led Somerset against Durham at Stockton this season.

The ludicrous decision to put Australia in at Riverside may not have been his alone, but as captain he has to carry the can.

Otherwise everything appears to have gone without a hitch, with no repeat of incidents such as Dickie Bird getting stuck in a lift. There wasn't even a streaker, although a few males were apparently spotted wearing just their underwear, and several of both sexes resembled lobsters after an afternoon in the sun.

AFTER abandoning hopes of resurrecting Gavin Hamilton's career as an all-rounder, Durham are looking at another ex-Yorkshire man to see if he can fulfil the role.

Former Harrogate Grammar School boy, Vic Craven, was released by the Tykes at the end of last season and is now playing for Cumberland.

A 24-year-old left-handed bat who also bowls right-arm medium pace, he top-scored with 44 not out in Yorkshire's Twenty20 match at Riverside a year ago. He also made his top one-day league score of 59 against Durham in a floodlit match at Headingley in 2003.

In six championship matches last season, Craven averaged 28.85 with a top score of 81 not out. He bowled only 51.4 overs, taking six wickets at 31.83, but Durham coach Martyn Moxon said: "We are looking at him to see if he can perform the fourth seamer's role."

That's the role fulfilled by Collingwood when he's available, and Durham hoped to use Hamilton in his absence but instead turned to Neil Killeen, thereby weakening the batting.

Hamilton and fellow Durham player Kyle Coetzer departed with Scotland at the weekend for the ICC Trophy in Ireland, where they hope to qualify for the 2007 World Cup in the West Indies.

Aberdeen-born Coetzer, 21, played in six championship matches last year but has only recently recovered from a groin operation. He has a highest score of 133 not out for Scotland against Kenya at Abu Dhabi last year and they were keen to have him involved.

THE Twenty20 Cup appears to have put Durham in a cleft stick. Like everyone else, they want to take advantage of the marketing opportunity and attract good crowds to their home games, but with promotion in sight in the championship they are not willing to risk injuries to key bowlers.

I can't say I blame them. Twenty20 is cricket's contribution to dumbing down and people will turn up whoever's in the side as long as the batsmen entertain them.

The peripherals like face painting and bouncy castles obviously help to make it a family night out, and Durham are introducing a fire eater this week, while also looking at the possibility of pony rides.

Known as Random Mike, the fire eater performs at Newcastle nightclubs and will make his Riverside debut at the interval in tomorrow's match against Nottinghamshire.

Durham are expecting a crowd of 4,000 to turn up, with something similar against Leicestershire on Friday, and hope to add a further 1,000 for Yorkshire's visit next Monday. A ticket for all four home matches can be bought for £30, with half price concessions.

FORMER Durham off-spinner Nicky Phillips, otherwise known as the Milky Bar Kid, had match figures of seven for 66 in Northumberland's win against Cumberland at Keswick last week.

NATHAN Astle has been named in New Zealand's squad to tour Zimbabwe next month. The government want the tour cancelled, but New Zealand Cricket would be fined at least £1m if they called off the five-week trip and the players are in favour of going ahead.