DURHAM will have to plan for another season with few sightings of Paul Collingwood after he was awarded a 12-month England contract yesterday.

Whether or not he gets into the Test team this winter, there are so many one-day internationals next summer that he seems certain to miss large chunks of the county programme.

Colllingwood's inclusion in the one-day squad for Bangladesh and Sri Lanka this winter was expected and his selection in the Test party was not a great surprise.

But he had no hint of the contract and said: "This is one of the best things that has happened to me. I would love to play for Durham as much as possible next season, but it has always been my main ambition to play Test cricket."

Collingwood, 27, would almost certainly have got into the Test team ahead of Anthony McGrath this summer had he not suffered a shoulder injury in a pre-season match.

"This is a great reward for all the hard work I've done to get fit again," he said. "Not being able to do anything for eight weeks was very difficult to cope with at first. I couldn't even train for the game I love.

"The management at Durham and the physio have been fantastic and England always kept me involved. The vibes from them have been good all summer.

"I got a sniff of the Test squad in Australia last winter and I was hoping to gain my first cap this summer. Now I just hope it comes against Bangladesh.

"I have to kick on now. I need to keep on improving and I hope this will give me the opportunity to do that."

Collingwood was watched by his parents, David and Janet, while playing for Durham against Gloucestershire at Bristol yesterday.

David, a former Shotley Bridge captain, said: "People used to ask me if I thought he would play for England but at the time I just wanted him to play for Shotley. Anything else was a bonus."

Janet added: "Paul was always very calm as a boy. I'm the excitable one - I sit on the edge of my seat when he's batting. Paul takes everything in his stride, like his dad."

Although they use up most of their holidays watching Durham, they are not planning to visit Bangladesh or Sri Lanka.

"We haven't flown since we went to Jersey for our honeymoon in 1968," said Janet. "I can't stand heights. We'll just have to take our hoildays next summer watching England."

England have seven Tests against New Zealand and the West Indies next summer, plus at least ten one-day internationals because they are hosting the ICC Trophy in September.

The first warm-up game in Bangladesh is on October 12, followed by two Tests and three one-day internationals then three of each in Sri Lanka.

Durham's Stephen Harmison is in the Test party but not the one-day squad. As he already has an England contract, the selectors have insisted that he does not play again for Durham this season.

* Durham pair Liam Plunkett and Mark Turner are in the England squad for the Under-19 World Cup in Bangladesh.

Turner, 19 next month, is from Sunderland and bowls at medium/fast pace and is a useful batsman. He made his Under-19 debut this summer in the Test against South Africa at Chelmsford, and took three for 35 in the first one-day international at Arundel.

There is no place in the ECB Academy squad for wicketkeeper Phil Mustard, despite being named in the provisional list.

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