DAVID Warner proved an instant hit at Riverside and the fact that he’s also making a big impression back in Australia could work in Durham’s favour.

With the Australian Board paying for his flights, he has been summoned home to play in three one-day internationals and a Twenty 20 match for Australia A against Pakistan. But he will be back for Durham’s T20 quarter-final at Canterbury.

Warner will also be available for finals day at Edgbaston on August 15 should Durham qualify because the Australians want him to stay on in this country as they might want him for the one-day internationals which follow the Ashes series.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul is expected to arrive in time for Durham’s championship game at Old Trafford, starting on August 11, but Warner will definitely replace him if Durham feature at Edgbaston.

He will find himself up against the South African bowler Wayne Parnell in the quarter-final. The left-arm seamer made a big impression in the recent World Championship, especially against England, and is to join Kent for five weeks from July 10.

Australia A are currently playing the second of two Test matches against Pakistan, but Warner wasn’t required for those, unlike Adam Voges.

Having spent the first part of the season with Nottinghamshire, Voges has been replaced at Trent Bridge for five weeks by David Hussey, who began with a century against Lancashire.

It seemed that the fact that their main title rivals had Hussey and Ryan Sidebottom available for a crucial match would do Durham no favours, but rain at Trent Bridge on the final day probably cost Nottinghamshire an extra ten points.

DURHAM got the date they wanted for their Twenty20 Cup quarter-final at Canterbury, but it still leaves them with two and half days to kill in the south.

It was 24 hours after the draw was made that the ties were allocated to the three days available, July 27-29, and Durham were given the first one.

There is a chance that two of the quarter-finalists will be contesting the Friends Provident Trophy final on July 25, with the Sunday as a reserve day. And Northamptonshire are playing the Australians over that weekend, so for once common sense prevailed in handing Durham the first T20 slot.

They have a Pro40 League match at Cheltenham on Friday the 24th, and would have returned home for a couple of days had they been given one of the later T20 dates. They will now spend one or two extra nights in Cheltenham before making their way across to Canterbury.

The ECB’s fixture computer, coupled with the intransigence of the opposition, has already kicked Durham in the proverbials this season by forcing them to follow four tough days at Hove with an overnight trip to Bristol and back again for two FPT matches without a day’s break.

This time they have got the best solution and a trip to Canterbury will have happy memories as it was there that Durham clinched the county title last season.

MICHAEL Di Venuto reached two milestones when making 100 not out to clinch Durham’s fourth successive championship win against Worcestershire.

It was his 50th first-class hundred and on 65 he reached 10,000 runs in the county championship, in which he began with a season at Sussex in 1999 before moving to Derbyshire. In his third season with Durham this was his eighth championship century. Including his career with Tasmania, Di Venuto has totalled 21,681 first-class runs at an average of 45.16.

AFTER two years on the periphery, Mitch Claydon continues to become an established figure with Durham, on and off the field. He was apparently very keen to get involved at one of scorer Brian Hunt’s benefit evenings and proved very entertaining at Philadelphia CC last Thursday.

Among those in attendance were ex-chairman Don Robson and Paul Collingwood’s parents, David and Janet. It was a sunny evening, and when David asked Durham coach Geoff Cook for his views on sledging a wag at the next table quipped: “What, in this weather?”

Brian’s next function is at Bishop Auckland Golf Club on Tuesday (July 7). After the golf a testimonial dinner will be held in the clubhouse, for which tickets are available at £25 a head. Dale Benkenstein, Steve Harmison, Michael Di Venuto and Phil Mustard will speak and local comic Seth Shildon will also appear.

Further details are available from Graham Sheldon on 01388 602194 or Tom Moffat on 0191 388 0421.