ENGLAND paceman Steve Harmison said a reluctant farewell to Durham yesterday after bowling them into an even bigger lead at the top of division two.

His six for 52 in the second innings of the nine-wicket win against Lancashire at Old Trafford were his best figures for Durham and he is now the country's leading first-class wicket-taker this season with 27 at an average of 14.52.

After helping Durham start the season with a record sequence of four wins, Harmison will join up with the England squad next week and with a long season of international cricket going on until September 12 he is unlikely to play for the county again this year.

"It will be a wrench not being part of it when Durham play Yorkshire next week," he said. "In my first four years with the club we hardly won four games in two seasons, so to win four out of four is very special.

"My objective in these games was to take wickets and gain confidence and rhythm. It has been great for both parties - I go away to play international cricket with confidence and Durham have made a great start.

"Everything is feeling fine for me. I'm approaching the crease well and the ball is coming out well. In the first two games I was only getting tail-enders out, but in the last two I've got some good players, which is pleasing."

Among the good players Harmison snared yesterday was his big pal Andrew Flintoff, who was threatening to turn the game when he was controversially adjudged lbw for 55.

He was well forward when given out by Steve Garratt, who is on the first-class umpires' reserve list and was standing in only his second championship game.

But it was a good piece of bowling by Harmison, who briefly thought he had Flintoff two balls earlier, only to realise it had brushed the all-rounder's chest on the way to first slip.

Flintoff drove at the next ball and missed, then departed with a reluctance bordering on dissent when given out after long deliberation by Mr Garratt.

Asked about the ball which hit Flintoff's chest, Harmison said: "It wasn't a bad ball - it set him up nicely for the lbw.

"We have a great friendship when we play for England, but when we're against each other it's professional. I enjoy bowling at him and I'm sure he enjoys facing me.

"I have played a lot of cricket with him and he's a very dangerous customer.

"I think he would have been disappointed by the lbw decision, but it doesn't matter how you get somebody out.

"I realised I had a chance of my best figures for Durham and was keen to get them because they were six for 111 before and nobody likes to go for a hundred.

"No matter who I play for I always try to give the captain as much as I can and I feel in decent nick now.

"This was not a pitch to bowl quick on. It was more important to hit good areas, but I know I'm capable of cranking it up when I have to."

Harmison will be named this weekend in the squad for the first Test against Bangladesh at Lord's on May 26, with the second Test following on his home ground at Riverside on June 3.