DURHAM are hoping to hear in two or three weeks that they are to be elevated to the same footing as the other Test grounds outside London, which would guarantee four Tests every five years.

It would also bring Tests against more high-profile opponents than Bangladesh, and either of next years's tourists, Sri Lanka and Pakistan, would do for starters.

"We are trying to get a long-term agreement in place, which would allow us to plan our budget accordingly," said Durham's commercial manager Gordon Hollins. "Its' very hard to manage a business with peaks and troughs."

Three Twenty20 internationals are also planned for next season, and Durham are hoping to get one of those.

After a virtual sell-out for the first two days of the Bangladesh Test, Durham sold 2,000 tickets for the third day and around 500 people turned up. The ECB rules state that there will be a full refund if there is less than ten overs' play due to the weather, but Durham persuaded them that the full refund should be made anyway after the two remaining Bangladesh wickets fell inside 17 minutes.

HAVING witnessed Steve Harmison's career since its outset, I thought I might write a book about him in a few years' time. But one has come out already and I gather another could be in the pipeline.

In any case, as Harmison is managed by former Durham batsman John Morris, who appeared to take umbrage when I joined the general observation that he hadn't made the most of his huge talent, I probably wouldn't receive any more support than Tony Lawrence.

As cricket correspondent for worldwide agency Reuters, Bristol-born Lawrence was approached by the Gloucestershire publishers, First Stone, to write the book, which is entitled Fast Work.

He rang me about it a few months ago and I gathered then that he had been denied access to Harmison because of plans for an official autobiography. But Lawrence has done his research thoroughly, including reading The Northern Echo, as well as taking a revealing look at homesickness, from which Harmison openly admits he suffers.

It's a paperback and it's in the shops now at £8.99.

I'M hoping one of those lovely people in Durham's marketing department will be bringing over a bottle of Moet et Chandon and a few nibbles today to help us give a fitting send-off to the homely cabin we media people have inhabited at Riverside.

The totesport match against Derbyshire promises to be a sentimental occasion as it is the last we will witness from the back of a trailer as we are moving into the new media centre after it becomes fully operational for the one-day international against Australia on June 23.

Apparently the cabin will be taking the high road tomorrow as it has been offered at a competitive rate to Scotland and has found a new home at The Grange in Edinburgh, replacing the leaky tent in which we were ensconced for last month's washed out game.

This magnanimous gesture can be seen as part of Durham's close co-operation with Scotland, who have been allowed to loan Gavin Hamilton while some of their youngsters are involved in Durham's coaching programmes. A joint dinner is also to be held in Edinburgh in September.

DURHAM'S total against Essex changed overnight on Friday from 506 to 505, apparently because a wide had been recorded as a no-ball. But it was still Durham's highest total against Essex, who then recorded their lowest against Durham.

The two previous records both dated back to the 1993 meeting at Chelmsford, when Phil Bainbridge scored 150 not out in Durham's total of 483 and Essex were all out for 154 in their second innings to lose by 143 runs. Until Saturday, Durham had beaten Essex only once since, at Riverside in 1998 by 95 runs, when Melvyn Betts took six for 83 in Essex's second innings.

WHEN Durham visit Essex in early August the match will be held at a new first-class venue, Garons Park in Southend. It is the home of Southend Leisure and Tennis Centre and is considered more secure than the resort's Southchurch Park ground, which Essex have used in the past but has fallen victim to vandalism.

Garons Park has not even staged a second XI match, but Essex's head groundsman is helping to prepare the pitch and apparently has no worries about it, although with Danish Kaneria arriving this week he's promising all Essex pitches for the rest of the season will take spin.