IT was something of a surprise for Martin Love to be awarded his county cap at lunchtime on Friday, but he aims to justify it by converting more fifties into hundreds.

In scoring 729 championship runs at an average of 60.7 he has made eight half centuries but only once passed 78.

"I've been disappointed with that," he said. "Once I get to 50 I tend to go on and in the second half of the season I'd like to make sure I do that.

"I don't know much about the traditions of English cricket and I didn't expect to get a cap so soon.

"I'm definitely enjoying it, but I'm looking forward to having some time off in the next two weeks to give the mind and body a rest. We're not used to this amount of cricket back home."

Simon Katich has an option to return for a second season with Durham, but whether he, Love or neither are available next year depends on their Australian commitments.

The Australian Board recently announced that they don't want their contracted players spending more than one season abroad.

"There have been a few injuries, which they obviously don't want," said Love. "We can still come but we will forfeit 12 and a half per cent of our Australian contract. Also the international programme over the next two years is pretty hectic."

Love is more likely to be available than Katich and he said: "I'd love to come back, but we'll have to see how it goes for the rest of the season and how my body copes with playing all year."

He is impressed with the spirit in the Durham team, saying: "Being a young team helps. Everyone gets on and there's plenty of joking. One of the funniest things I've seen on a cricket field was when there were two ducks on the field on Saturday and Nicky Phillips got down on his hands and knees and started stalking them."

WHILE keeping tabs on the Australians' availability, Durham will also be taking steps to tie down their home-produced talent.

Nicky Peng is in the first year of a two-year contract and seems certain to attract interest from elsewhere, along with Paul Collingwood.

"We have a system which rewards international appearances, so Paul will have an immediate benefit in salary," said chairman Bill Midgley.

"We don't want to be a feeder for other clubs so we have to protect the future and we will be looking at contracts.

"We need money for further construction, but that will help us to develop income, and if we can get on to the Test match scene that will also generate income."

Midgley added that a £10,000 insurance policy protected Durham from any loss of the £75,000 they expected to make from the washed out one-day international between Pakistan and Australia.

Brochures have already been printed to promote next year's floodlit England v India game on July 4. The cost will be £35 for adults and £15 for under 16s. Tickets go on general sale on November 1.

WAS Warwickshire spinner Ashley Giles really withdrawn from the Durham match by England, or did he have more regal duties to attend to?

Exploiting his winter tour success in Pakistan, Warwickshire decided there might be a few bob to be made out of selling mugs bearing the words: Ashley Giles King of Spin.

When the first batch arrived they described him as the King of Spain, so Giles is now known by his teammates as Juan Carlos.

THE Durham Board X1, having squeezed into the ECB 38 County Cup quarter-finals by the slenderest of margins, will play Lincolnshire at Darlington on July 19.

Durham and Cumberland both had six points from four group games, but Durham's net run rate was plus 10.33, which put them 0.01 ahead.

Ashley Day, the former Hartlepool bowler now with Hetton Lyons, has been making a big impression for the Board and could get into the ECB X1 to play West Indies Under 19s at Hastings on July 22.

MARK Davies, who was in the Durham squad for last week's C and G Trophy match against Hampshire, would have been eligible to play, despite having already appeared in the competition for the Board X1's defeat by Hertfordshire.

When Worcestershire fielded Kadeer Ali in their victory against Gloucestershire last season the match had to be replayed because he had already played for the Board. But the rules would apparently have allowed Davies to play because he is under 21.

RUNS galore on the Weston front. Robin narrowly failed to emulate his feat of centuries in three successive matches for Derbyshire when he was out for 83 in Middlesex's match against Sussex yesterday.

His brother Phil, meanwhile, was out for 192 in Worcestershire's second innings against Nottinghamshire.

IT was something of a surprise for Martin Love to be awarded his county cap at lunchtime on Friday, but he aims to justify it by converting more fifties into hundreds.

In scoring 729 championship runs at an average of 60.7 he has made eight half centuries but only once passed 78.

"I've been disappointed with that," he said. "Once I get to 50 I tend to go on and in the second half of the season I'd like to make sure I do that.

"I don't know much about the traditions of English cricket and I didn't expect to get a cap so soon.

"I'm definitely enjoying it, but I'm looking forward to having some time off in the next two weeks to give the mind and body a rest. We're not used to this amount of cricket back home."

Simon Katich has an option to return for a second season with Durham, but whether he, Love or neither are available next year depends on their Australian commitments.

The Australian Board recently announced that they don't want their contracted players spending more than one season abroad.

"There have been a few injuries, which they obviously don't want," said Love. "We can still come but we will forfeit 12 and a half per cent of our Australian contract. Also the international programme over the next two years is pretty hectic."

Love is more likely to be available than Katich and he said: "I'd love to come back, but we'll have to see how it goes for the rest of the season and how my body copes with playing all year."

He is impressed with the spirit in the Durham team, saying: "Being a young team helps. Everyone gets on and there's plenty of joking. One of the funniest things I've seen on a cricket field was when there were two ducks on the field on Saturday and Nicky Phillips got down on his hands and knees and started stalking them."

WHILE keeping tabs on the Australians' availability, Durham will also be taking steps to tie down their home-produced talent.

Nicky Peng is in the first year of a two-year contract and seems certain to attract interest from elsewhere, along with Paul Collingwood.

"We have a system which rewards international appearances, so Paul will have an immediate benefit in salary," said chairman Bill Midgley.

"We don't want to be a feeder for other clubs so we have to protect the future and we will be looking at contracts.

"We need money for further construction, but that will help us to develop income, and if we can get on to the Test match scene that will also generate income."

Midgley added that a £10,000 insurance policy protected Durham from any loss of the £75,000 they expected to make from the washed out one-day international between Pakistan and Australia.

Brochures have already been printed to promote next year's floodlit England v India game on July 4. The cost will be £35 for adults and £15 for under 16s. Tickets go on general sale on November 1.

WAS Warwickshire spinner Ashley Giles really withdrawn from the Durham match by England, or did he have more regal duties to attend to?

Exploiting his winter tour success in Pakistan, Warwickshire decided there might be a few bob to be made out of selling mugs bearing the words: Ashley Giles King of Spin.

When the first batch arrived they described him as the King of Spain, so Giles is now known by his teammates as Juan Carlos.

THE Durham Board X1, having squeezed into the ECB 38 County Cup quarter-finals by the slenderest of margins, will play Lincolnshire at Darlington on July 19.

Durham and Cumberland both had six points from four group games, but Durham's net run rate was plus 10.33, which put them 0.01 ahead.

Ashley Day, the former Hartlepool bowler now with Hetton Lyons, has been making a big impression for the Board and could get into the ECB X1 to play West Indies Under 19s at Hastings on July 22.

MARK Davies, who was in the Durham squad for last week's C and G Trophy match against Hampshire, would have been eligible to play, despite having already appeared in the competition for the Board X1's defeat by Hertfordshire.

When Worcestershire fielded Kadeer Ali in their victory against Gloucestershire last season the match had to be replayed because he had already played for the Board. But the rules would apparently have allowed Davies to play because he is under 21.

RUNS galore on the Weston front. Robin narrowly failed to emulate his feat of centuries in three successive matches for Derbyshire when he was out for 83 in Middlesex's match against Sussex yesterday.

His brother Phil, meanwhile, was out for 192 in Worcestershire's second innings against Nottinghamshire.