The cricket season is upon us, with Durham and Yorkshire both aiming to improve on last summer. Durham enjoyed lifting silverware on two fronts, as the Tykes made real progress under the captaincy of Darren Gough, but both counties are now faced withand new challenges, as Tim Wellock, the only writer to follow Durham home and away this summer, and Neil Andrews report

Yorkshire bothaiming to improve on last summer. Durham enjoyed lifting silverware on two fronts, as the Tykes made real progress under the WHO can possibly fill the boots of Ottis Gibson? That's the biggest question facing Durham this season, and one of their primary hopes is that the man who is now England's bowling coach will have had a positive influence on Steve Harmison.

If Harmison and Michael Di Venuto begin as they did last season there is every chance of Durham getting off to another flying start, especially as the first championship match is at home to Surrey next week.

The last time Surrey came to Riverside in April, eight years ago, they arrived as defending champions and lost by 231 runs.

Success for Harmison could, of course, see him swiftly whisked away by England as the first Test against New Zealand starts on May 15.

But after winning the last two winter Tests without him it seems more likely that he will be left to prove his form over an extended period with Duham, or at least until Stuart Broad suffers the lapse in form which seems inevitable for young bowlers after initial success with England.

It happened to Liam Plunkett and if anyone in the Durham squad has the all-round talent to take on the Gibson mantle it's the 2 3 - y e a r - o l d Teessider.

In Harmison, Plunkett, Graham Onions and Mark D a v i e s , Durham have a seam battery rivalled only by Lancashire with Jimmy Anderson, Andrew Flintoff, Glen Chapple, Sajid Mahmood and Dominic Cork.

Given the inevitable injuries, it is hoped that Australians Callum Thorpe and Mitch Claydon can play a part after missing most of last season, while Neil Killeen will again lead the one-day attack and the 6ft 7in Luke Evans is now on the full-time staff.

After several seasons of two overseas players per county, the decision to revert to one has brought the predictable rush to make Kolpak signings, despite the financial inducements brought in by the ECB to encourage the use of home-bred talent.

Some will say Durham are guilty of contravening the spirit of those inducements by retaining Di Venuto, who will devote the next two years to playing at Riverside under his Italian passport.

But Durham can argue that they owe the ECB nothing considering the number of England players they have produced in recent years.

The one slot for an overseas player has been divided into three. South African Test batsman Neil McKenzie is here until the domestic Twenty20 Cup starts on June 11, when his compatriot Albi Morkel will take over.

Morkel will also be available, if required, for the championship match against Yorkshire at Headingley starting on June 29 prior to Shivnarine Chanderpaul arriving in early July after the West Indies complete their series against Australia.

Otherwise it's the same as last year, minus Gibson, and with Mark Stoneman, Luke Evans and wicketkeeper Lee Goddard upgraded to the full-time staff.

Although Garry Park began last season as reserve wicketkeeper, Goddard will don the gloves if Phil Mustard is away on England one-day duty for two chunks of the season. Unless Tim Ambrose is handed both England roles, the Colonel will miss the Twenty20 Cup, plus two championship and three 40-over games.

Goddard scored Durham's fastest first-class 50 off 32 balls when he made his debut against Sri Lanka A last season. The 25- year-old Dewsbury-born Loughborough graduate played four championship games for Derbyshire in 2006, with a top score of 91 against Surrey.

Mustard's Twenty20 absence would be a blow following the signing of Morkel specifically for a tournament in which Durham are determined to improve.

The 26-year-old all-rounder bats in the lower middle order in South Africa's Twenty20 line-up and thrashed 43 off 20 balls against England in last year's World Championship.

"Albi's signing reflects our desire to improve our Twenty20 performances,"

said coach Geoff Cook. "We were determined to improve last year, but the weather and injuries didn't help.

"It's becoming a force in world cricket and we think Albi fits the bill. He's going to play in the Indian Premier League before joining us, so hopefully he'll arrive in good form and might pick up a bit of tactical nous."

McKenzie, 32, must have feared his South Africa career had stalled at 41 caps until he was selected for the first time for three years against the West Indies in January. He was then promoted to open against Bangladesh at the end of February and after scoring a double century he continued in that role in the recent series in India.

After playing three championship games for Somerset late last season they were keen to have him back as a Kolpak player, but his aspirations to regain his Test place persuaded him that a short-term contract with Durham was a better option.

Skipper Dale Benkenstein has featured in both instalments of the "rebel" Twenty20 event, the Indian Cricket League, over the winter. But his contract stipulates that his ICL involvement cannot impinge on his Durham duties.

He is likely to return home for a few days in May, when his third child is due, and Durham will hope that it's early in the month so that Paul Collingwood can take over the captaincy.

Although, under his central contract, he is unable to start the season with Durham, Collingwood will be available for the second championship match, starting at Old Trafford on May 7, which is likely to be a key game in the title battle.

Two other all-rounders who will be hoping for opportunities are Gary Scott and Will Gidman.

Scott's career has advanced in fits and starts since making his first-class debut in 2001 just after his 17th birthday, and after beginning last season with an injury he never found any form.

In 2006 he had bowled some medium pace as well as the offspin for which he was first noted, but Cook said: "We have told him to concentrate on his batting this winter to get some confidence back.

"He's the type who's almost made for the current game because he's a strong lad who can clear the ropes and he's a terrific fielder. There will be opportunities for him."