An African adventure for Plunkett and Harmison
DURHAM duo Steve Harmison and Liam Plunkett will have Ottis Gibson very much in their thoughts when they play in South Africa in the coming weeks.
Harmison is in the process of signing to play for the Johannesburg-based Lions in an attempt to find match fitness ahead of England's tour of Sri Lanka next month, while Plunkett has agreed to join the Dolphins in a four-month deal.
Harmison will be accompanied by Gibson, the new England bowling coach, who Durham do not currently intend to replace as they hope Plunkett can grow into his role.
Since going to the World Cup and playing for England in the early part of last summer, Plunkett has fallen out of favour with the selectors.
Team-mate Graham Onions has been preferred in the England development squad, who will shortly be put through their paces at Loughborough before heading out to India for three weeks.
Durham coach Geoff Cook is not concerned by Plunkett's omission, saying: "Playing first-class cricket with Dale Benkenstein in South Africa for four months will be far better for him.
"We think he can fill Ottis Gibson's shoes. Given the chance at No 7, he would be good enough to score 500-600 championship runs. But the problem is as soon as he starts to do well again for us he will be called up by England.
"We had hoped to have Ottis for another season and losing him is a blow. But there is no point trying to replace him when there is no-one of that calibre available."
West Indian batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul has agreed to return as the one overseas player allowed next season and will be available from mid-May. Durham are also confident that Michael Di Venuto, who scored 176 for Tasmania this week, will return to play under his Italian passport.
Harmison hasn't played for England since the final Test against West Indies, at Chester-le-Street, in June. During the series he picked up a hernia and despite trying to play through the injury it required surgery, which ruled him out of the India series.
He returned to action for Durham three weeks later, but in trying to build his fitness for the Friends Provident Trophy final he suffered a back injury which ruled him out of the final month of the season.
He still has a central contract and will be named tomorrow in the England squad for Sri Lanka, but the selectors want him to have some competitive action before the tour.
"The ECB are in the process of finalising the details for Steve," said an ECB spokesman. "The idea is for him to play two first-class matches for Highveld Lions as a part of his rehabilitation process."
The ECB added that Harmison, who has been working on his fitness with Kevin Shine at the National Academy in Loughborough, would be accompanied on the trip by Gibson.
Plunkett will play alongside Benkenstein, who has committed himself to the Natal-based Dolphins for one more season before moving his family permanently to Durham.
He recommended Plunkett and Cricket South Africa cleared both overseas signings on Tuesday. Although not as prevalent as overseas players in county cricket, the South African first-class game has included English cricketers in the past, notably Matthew Hoggard at Free State.
8:58am Thursday 18th October 2007
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