DURHAM hope to make an announcement next week about one of their overseas players for next season and the odds are shortening on it being Michael Hussey.

The former Australia A and Northamptonshire captain fits Durham's requirements perfectly, except that he is a contracted player with Australia and has an outside chance of touring with the Ashes squad next summer.

Hussey's only appearance to date in the full Australia side was in a one-day international against India at Perth last February, when he replaced the injured Michael Bevan.

Left-hander Hussey scored 17 not out and took none for 15 in three overs of medium pace, although he rarely bowls in first-class cricket.

A product of the Australian Academy, his overall first-class batting average is 51.24 from 270 innings, although he scores mover heavily in England than for Western Australia.

He is only the third batsman after Wally Hammond and Graeme Hick to score three triple centuries in the county championship, managing one in each of his three seasons at Northampton.

Australian commentator Kerry O'Keefe has observed: "I don't know if he's a victim of too much cricket or whether he's just a slow pitch player, but I no longer hold great hopes for him."

If he is a slow pitch player, that won't worry Durham, and as he will be 30 next May he seems unlikely to break into the Test team ahead of the up-and-coming Michael Clarke.

Durham are in a quandary about what to do with their current Australian, 21-year-old paceman Shaun Tait, who is again in the squad for the match against Hampshire starting at Riverside today.

Bowling coach Alan Walker was able to work briefly with Tait in the middle yesterday before the rain got too heavy, and head coach Martyn Moxon admitted: "He's still not totally convincing.

"We need him to be totally confident about his run-up. He wants to play and we will work with him again in the morning then weigh up the risks involved."

In his two rain-ruined matches to date Tait has taken none for 176 in 18 overs, with 26 no-balls.

Durham have drafted in Phil Mustard to keep wicket in place of Andrew Pratt, with Moxon saying: "Phil did well when he played in the first team last season and he has done well in the A team.

"He deserves another chance and given our situation it's a good time to have another look at him."

Second-placed Hampshire are looking certainties for promotion and will have Simon Katich and Shane Warne in their side.

Durham could have beaten them at the Rose Bowl in the first match of the season had they had another bowler in their side other than Reon King.

In a low scoring rain-affected match, Hampshire needed 112 to win and Mark Davies and Liam Plunkett reduced them to 52 for seven.

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