DURHAM will give Gordon Muchall the chance to build on the promising start to his first-class career at Cardiff today.

They take on Glamorgan over the next five days, and while 19-year-old Muchall is unlikely to feature in Sunday's National League clash he will retain his place at No 6 in the championship side.

After losing their first two games Durham are bottom of division two, but coach Martyn Moxon said: "We can't be depressed about it. We have to try to get into the winning habit and take our opportunities.

"It shows how fine the line is between success and failure when Derbyshire are top and we're bottom because we should have beaten them at Derby.

"If we had won that game we would be up in fourth or fifth place."

After making an impressive 48 in his maiden first-class innings against Middlesex, Muchall was out of luck until he scored 69 against Sri Lanka last week.

He was run out after facing one ball in the second innings against Middlesex, then survived for 30 minutes in very tricky conditions in the first innings at Derby before recording another duck when he was brilliantly caught off his first attacking stroke.

He had his first chance to bowl his medium pace against Sri Lanka and claimed the world's sixth-ranked batsman Mahela Jayawardene as his maiden scalp.

"I haven't bowled in the championship yet, but I'm working on it and I'm keen to have a go," he said.

"I thought about going to university, but this is what I want to do. I've got a two-year contract and I have to make the most of it.

"I was a bit nervous batting at three against Sri Lanka. Four is where I like to bat, and going in so early against Test bowlers was quite difficult. Chaminda Vaas was swinging it in and Zoysa was seaming it away."

Muchall is from a sporting family in South Shields. His grandfather played for Northumberland, his dad, Arthur, played for Shields, and his brother Paul is in the England Under 15 squad.

Gordon also played rugby at Durham School, appearing in the final of the Daily Mail Cup, but it was at cricket that he really starred, representing England at Under 17 and 19 levels.

"I've been to India and New Zealand with the Under 19s," he said. "I scored one 50 and two 40s at the Youth World Cup last winter, but we were disappointed with out efforts as a team because we felt we had a really good squad."

Nicky Peng, who captained that squad, will be up against two of his England Academy colleagues at Cardiff in wicketkeeper Mark Wallace and paceman Simon Jones, who is said to have made a favourable impression on academy director Rod Marsh.

Glamorgan also made a poor start to the season but won at Worcester by 110 runs last week to move into fourth place.

Their overseas man is Martin Love's Queensland colleague Michael Kasprowicz, who once bowled Durham out at Stockton during his season with Essex.

He started slowly this season, but took five for 77 in the second innings at Worcester.

Following promotion two years ago and relegation last season for Glamorgan, this is the first championship meeting between the counties for three years.

Durham's 1999 visit was decided by spin on a dry, dusty Sophia Gardens pitch. Robert Croft took ten wickets in the match and Nicky Phillips 12, but Glamorgan won by three wickets.

The Welshmen have added left-arm spinner Dean Cosker to their squad and Durham have included Michael Gough in case they need him as a second spinner. But following recent rain there is likely to be some moisture around to assist the seamers.

Durham (from): J J B Lewis (capt), G J Pratt, M L Love, P D Collingwood, N Peng, G J Muchall, A Pratt, I D Hunter, G D Bridge, A M Davies, N Killeen, M A Gough

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