DURHAM'S half-term report cannot be anything less than glowing, even though they are reluctant to contemplate their fourth championship title in eight years.

Six wins were enough to clinch their first in 2008 and they already have six from eight games this season.

Durham increased their win tally to ten in 2013, which proved more than enough as second-placed Yorkshire had seven and trailed by 24.5 points.

That was the year when Durham began on minus 2.5 as part of their punishment for exceeding the salary cap, a crime chairman Clive Leach is convinced they are not alone in committing.

They spotted the error and owned up to it, and having since halved the wage bill it is astonishing that they are 29 points clear at the top.

After spinning them to their latest win at Arundel last week, Scott Borthwick said: “There's a long way to go and a lot can happen.”

He was echoing the words of skipper Paul Collingwood, who will recall that Durham were 23 points clear after ten games in 2011 but finished third.

The title seemed to be in the bag when they completed the double over Lancashire by winning at Liverpool, but it was the Red Rose men who finished top.

The weather turned against Durham that season and there's no doubt they have been lucky in that regard this year. They have not recorded any draws whereas their chief rivals, Warwickshire and Yorkshire, have three each.

Starting with the home game next Sunday, Durham still have to play Yorkshire twice, but they also have to play struggling Hampshire home and away.

Those two counties are coached by Martyn Moxon and Dale Benkenstein, who both played a big part in transforming Durham from doormats to the most successful club of the last decade.

There have already been so many remarkable turnarounds this season that to make predictions is to invite ridicule, but no team has been relegated with five wins, never mind six.

On that basis, Durham will equal the record next season for the longest run in division one, surprisingly held by Kent, who were ever-present from 2000-2010.

Those who doubt Durham's ability to hang on to top spot point to the weakness of the middle order. But it currently looks quite healthy with Gordon Muchall averaging 60.75 from three games, while Collingwood's average is 45.45.

Borthwick is the leading run scorer with 634 at 45.28, while Chris Rushworth and John Hastings are first and second in county cricket's Most Valuable Player rankings.

Rushworth has 46 championship wickets at 20.8. Hastings has 32 at 28.34 and is averaging 29 with the bat.

With an extra seven from games for the MCC and against Durham University, Rushworth has 53 first-class wickets and is well on track to beat Ottis Gibson's record of 80 in a season for Durham, set in 2007.