Injuries or calls by England may stretch a squad that’s paper thin

THERE is some good news for Durham to take into the new season.

Sir Ian Botham is back as chairman. Ben Stokes, Mark Wood and Keaton Jennings did not jump ship. And Stephen Cook and Tom Latham look like good bits of overseas business at the top of the order.

But really that is where any optimism ends for cricket fans in the north east, who can expect a long and probably futile summer in 2017.

Financial woes last season saw the ECB come down hard on the three-time County Champions.

They were relegated, docked 48 red-ball points for 2017 and will also carry forward penalty points in the white-ball competitions.

Throw in a mass exodus of players – some out of personal choice and others to try and balance the books at Chester-le-Street – and the word ‘paper-thin’ does not quite cover the squad that is left behind.

With Stokes set to miss the start of the season on IPL duty and now installed as England’s vice-captain, Durham will not see much of their star attraction this year.

Scott Borthwick and Mark Stoneman have made scoring runs in the northeast look ridiculously easy over the last four years but both are down south at Surrey now.

That leaves a huge amount of pressure for runs on players who should really be easing their way into retirement – like Paul Collingwood – or who are still inexperienced at this level and liable to suffer the odd growing pain – like Jack Burnham.

If Jennings builds on his fabulous season last year then Durham can breathe a little easier, that is unless England come calling once more.The South Africanborn opener will captain the county in 50-over cricket this year – he once skippered the Proteas U19s – while Collingwood remains at the helm in T20 and red ball.

The bowling looks better stocked. Graham Onions and Chris Rushworth will be too good for many Division Two batsmen while the likes of Paul Coughlin and Brydon Carse will certainly contribute.

They also made the T20 final last year, only losing out to an inspired Northants, so the system is in place, if not the personnel.

A couple of injuries and international call-ups would stretch them to breaking point.

And in a season where their points deduction already leaves them up against it, Durham fans might just want to press fast forward on 2017.