IF Durham's new skipper Mike Hussey wins the toss at Grace Road today and is tempted to put Leicestershire in, he might quickly be dissuaded by Jon Lewis.

If there was one decision last season which contributed most to halting Lewis's four-year reign as captain it was inserting a side led by former Durham player Brad Hodge.

The Australian scored 262 out of a total of 634 for nine declared and Durham lost by an innings and 26 runs. The only survivors from that Durham side are Lewis, Paul Collingwood, Gordon Muchall, Gareth Breese and Liam Plunkett. Out have gone Marcus North, Kyle Coetzer, Andrew Pratt, Andy Blignaut, Neil Killeen and Graham Onions, who will be 12th man today.

Durham are not concerned about being without their second official overseas man, Queensland seamer Ashley Noffke, because of a back injury as they are able to call on Stephen Harmison, who played no championship cricket last season and only five games in 2003.

They can also take heart from the fact that neither of Leicestershire's two official overseas players have arrived yet. While they await Indian Dinesh Mongia and South African Charl Willougby, they are, however, able to call on three other players not qualified for England.

It was Leicestershire who broke the gentleman's agreement not to make what have become known as Kolpak signings by recruiting South African spinner Claude Henderson and he took seven for 74 in Durham's first innings at Grace Road last year.

There has since been a flood of such signings, including Leicestershire's new captain Hylton Ackerman, a former Blackhall professional who has played at Riverside for South Africa A.

Until Willoughby arrives, Leicestershire are to rely on the oldest new-ball attack in county cricket in 36-year-old West Indian Ottis Gibson and 39-year-old Phil DeFreitas.

It ought not to be an attack to frighten what looks a strong Durham batting line-up, with Breese at No 7 and wicketkeeper Phil Mustard at eight.

As well as Henderson, Leicestershire have also included former Gloucestershire off-spinner Jeremy Snape, so it's a fair bet that the pitch is not going to suit Harmison.

There were no home centuries by Durham batsmen last season, which is something Hussey and coach Martyn Moxon will be anxious to put right when they face Worcestershire next week.

But first they want to exorcise the Leicestershire bogey, which has never been more apparent than last year, when despite having a moderate season in the championship they topped 500 against Durham home and away.

Hussey wanted Lewis in the team, saying: "His experience at the top of the order will be invaluable and I'm also going to have to bounce ideas off him. He's a good man to have around the dressing room."

Durham: M E K Hussey (capt), J J B Lewis, P D Collingwood, G J Muchall, D M Benkenstein, N Peng, G R Breese, P Mustard, L E Plunkett, S J Harmison, M Davies