WITH 24 hours still to go before Riverside hosts its second Test match, Durham cricket chiefs are already preparing to welcome the Sri Lankans to the Riverside in 12 months time.

The county is expected to confirm later this month they have secured a one-day international next year with Marvan Atapattu's side the visitors.

The draw of the likes of Muttiah Muralitharan - boasting 532 test wickets and 367 one-day victims - is sure to make the game another sell-out and confirm Chester-le-Street's place as a venue of international renown.

It will be seven years in succession the fledgling international cricket arena has hosted one-day games and Test matches, but the news will not stop a Durham delegation from demanding a greater share of the international cricket on offer to the country's county grounds.

A meeting at Lord's today with a working group set up by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) looking into the long-term future of international cricket will hear why Durham should receive a greater share.

Speaking yesterday, Durham chief executive David Harker said: "We're going tomorrow to put forward a very positive case for international cricket in the North-East.

"I'm sure we'll get a fair hearing - they'll be meeting representatives from other grounds as well - and then they'll report back to the management board and they'll make their recommendation.

"There'll be a lot of listening on their behalf, a few questions for us, and then they'll go away and assess our arguments."

With the first two days of the Test against minnows Bangladesh a virtual sell-out, and all 16,000 tickets sold for the day-night match against Australia later this month, Durham will have ammunition to support their call for a bigger share of international cricket.

"I think the two-day sell-out is a very positive message - two days at around 10,000 sales each," said Harker. "I don't know what the attendances were at Lord's but everyone in the ground on Friday and Saturday will have a bought ticket.

"Something like 60 per cent of international cricket is played within 90 miles of Trent Bridge. Now I don't think that's right.

"Then the rest of it is played in and around London."

Riverside may still be new to the Test scene but that hasn't dampened the spirits of Graham Thorpe, who believes it is a fitting venue to play his centenary Test.

Thorpe said: "I'm delighted to be playing my 100th Test at Riverside. It really doesn't matter where it is in terms of venues. It's (Chester-le-Street) been on the list of Test venues for a few years now.

"Durham had the Test match against Zimbabwe here. The period they've been involved in first-class cricket, to have the rise that they've had, to have the Test matches and one-day internationals being played here.

"What more could the sporting people up here require? It's great to have cricket up here and thriving."

* There are still a few hundred tickets left for Friday and Saturday at Chester-le-Street, with tickets on general sale for Sunday. For details call (0191) 3875151.