DURHAM are confident that their Riverside ground at Chester-le-Street will be able to accommodate a busy season of county and international cricket in 2005.

The groundstaff have completed remedial work on four pitches and chief executive David Harker said: "We are very happy with the way the work went and we may be able to use those pitches next season if the weather allows them to bed down."

It was thought Durham might take the four-day match prior to the Test against Bangladesh starting on June 3 to an outground. But as it's against Yorkshire it would obviously pose difficulties in accommodating a big crowd.

The Yorkshire match starts on May 20 and will leave ten days to prepare the ground for the Test, during which Durham will play the University at their Racecourse ground.

Harker said: "We are always interested in going to an outground if it makes sense to all parties and we will probably speak to some clubs about it. But we will definitely play Yorkshire at Riverside.

"Playing considerations are paramount and if we were to go to an outground early in the season we would have to be happy that it was in good nick."

Riverside is also hosting a one-day international against Australia on June 23, plus four Twenty20 Cup games as the competition is being expanded so that teams play each other home and away in their groups.

Durham's four home games start on June 28 against Nottinghamshire, followed by Leicestershire (July 1), Yorkshire (July 4) and Lancashire (July 6).

Durham are at home to Derbyshire in the second round of the C & G Trophy on May 3 and if they win they will be at home again a fortnight later against Wiltshire or Kent.

Durham will be visiting two venues for the first time as a first-class county, with a four-day match against Essex at Southend starting on August 3, while they will play Sussex at Arundel in the totesport League on June 19.

It means they will have two championship matches at seaside venues as they are again playing Yorkshire at Scarborough on August 24-27.

Durham begin their season on April 13 at Grace Road with a championship match against Leicestershire, who they have never beaten in four-day combat. The first home game is a week later against relegated Worcestershire.

Durham still have two new signings in the pipeline, one of whom is South African one-day international Dale Berkenstein.

The registration has been complicated by the fact that, by signing for Durham, he will have to be considered an overseas player by KwaZulu Natal. An announcement is expected early next week.