MIKE Hussey last night pinpointed Durham team-mate Steve Harmison as the biggest danger to Australia's hopes of turning their summer around at Riverside tomorrow.

Hussey has been one of Australia's few success stories this summer, scoring an unbeaten 31 and an eye-catching 84 in last weekend's defeats to Bangladesh and England.

The rest of his team-mates have not been nearly so effective and, with the Australian press branding the last seven days "the worst in the country's cricketing history", another defeat could have serious repercussions for skipper Ricky Ponting and his fellow under-achievers.

Hussey, who made a double hundred on his Durham debut earlier this season, is confident Australia have the batting power to blast England out of tomorrow's game.

But, after playing alongside Harmison for the opening month of the summer, the stylish stroke-maker knows just how dangerous England's leading strike bowler can be.

The Ashington Express is the only person to have dismissed him in one-day international cricket - he failed to read a slower ball at Bristol on Sunday - and he expects Harmison to be even more effective on his home turf.

"It doesn't surprise me at all how well he bowled at Bristol because he was my team-mate at the start of the season," said Hussey, whose five not outs means he averages an incredible 229 in his six one-day international innings.

"He loves bowling here at the Riverside and I'm sure he'll be looking forward to getting another chance to play at the ground.

"He was a bit rusty at the start of the season with Durham. In the first couple of games he was spraying the ball around a fair bit and not bowling at full speed. He was taking wickets, but they were mainly tail-enders.

"But in the last couple of games he was hitting his straps and troubling the best batsmen. He was knocking them over as well."

Hussey opted to join Durham in the winter after previously enjoying successful spells in English county cricket with Northamptonshire and Gloucestershire.

He was appointed captain and responded by leading his new side to the top of both the County Championship and the totesport League.

With both Harmison and Paul Collingwood in the likely England line-up for tomorrow's day-night game, North-East cricket fans will have two homegrown heroes to support.

But, after doing so much to help Durham mount a double promotion push, Hussey is hoping some of the region's legendary hospitality will be directed his way as well.

"I've told the lads to expect a passionate crowd," he said. "But I'm hoping there's a little bit of support for the hometown Australian as well as Paul and Steve.

"It feels like I'm coming home - well at least a home away from home.

"The people up here have been fantastic to me, the team have played some excellent cricket, and I've settled in very well."

Hussey will be back in Durham colours on July 17 as he has not been named in the Australian Test squad for this summer's Ashes series.

The county have stuttered somewhat in his absence, drawing their latest Championship game and losing two one-day encounters, but the 30-year-old remains extremely positive about their prospects for the second half of the season.

"I've kept up to date with everything that has been going on," he explained. "I've spoken to (coach) Martyn Moxon virtually every day.

"From what I've been told we're still playing some good cricket. It's disappointing to have lost a couple of one-day games, but then Australia have gone and done exactly the same.

"We're still top of both leagues and, hopefully, we'll still be in that position when I come back in mid-July. Then we'll be ready to kick on again."