DON'T write off Shane Warne. That was the message from Durham's new overseas player Martin Love yesterday as he looked forward to watching his countrymen in action in the Ashes series.

"I hope to get to one or two days' play if my Durham commitments allow," said the 27-year-old Queenslander. "I think it will be a close series - the Australians certainly won't be taking England lightly."

Warne did not find conditions at the Riverside particularly to his liking when he visited with Hampshire last season and has just had a miserable time on the tour to India.

But Love warned: "English fans would be wrong to write him off.

"He has never had a happy time in India, but he always enjoys playing here.

"If Jason Gillespie and Brett Lee are fit to back up Glenn McGrath that will be a pretty good bowling line-up, and Damien Fleming is also a handful in these conditions."

Love helped Durham unveil their new sponsors, Northern Rock and Logitog, who are both putting in "well into five figures a year," in the words of club chairman Bill Midgley.

The initial deals are for three years.

Northern Rock will sponsor the one-day Durham Dynamos team and Teesside-based Logitog will be the official kit manufacturer.

In addition, Durham announced that Century Radio will be their official radio station partner helping to promote home matches and the one-day international between Australia and Pakistan on June 16.

Although he has spent two summers playing for Weybridge in Surrey, Love said he had never seen snow falling until yesterday.

Several flurries interrupted the final day of the match against Durham University and Love's colleagues all wore woolly hats with the exception of Nicky Peng under the helmet at short leg.

James Brinkley, who once played against Love for Western Australia Under-17s, even wore his hat for bowling into the bitter North-East wind and managed a better line than in the first innings.

Play began 75 minutes late and Durham declared at their overnight total of 485 for four. They were keen to put the bowlers through their paces again, but an understandable lack of motivation in the conditions allowed the students to save some face.

They reached 92 for two in 35.3 overs before a hailstorm at 4.30 persuaded everyone that enough was enough.

Essex opener Will Jefferson again looked the class act of the university side, including two beautifully-timed boundaries off Neil Killeen in contributing 24 to an opening stand of 28.

His partner Michael Brown had faced 36 balls without scoring in the first innings, but this time he was off the mark fifth ball, pushing Steve Harmison through square leg for two.

Killeen had Jefferson lbw playing across the line before Brown and skipper Matthew Banes, who also made a duck in the first innings, put on 59 with Durham taking the opportunity to give Michael Gough's off breaks their first airing of the season.

He had Brown lbw for 31 with one which kept a shade low and Banes was unbeaten on 25 when the hail brought a merciful end.