AS Durham become ever more firmly anchored to the foot of the table, they have a week off after Sunday's visit to Cleethorpes in which to decide where they go from here.

They continued to be outplayed at Grace Road yesterday by the team one place above them and it was all very reminiscent of their surrender at Derby four years ago, when Dominic Cork thrashed a double century.

The ensuing row left Nick Speak's position as captain untenable and Jon Lewis took over. Now it is time to think seriously about who will take over from Lewis.

He has done a good enough job for three seasons, but as Durham's progress has gone into reverse this year it must be time for a change.

Lewis has had the great misfortune to be unable to get to grips with his benefit this season because everything has conspired against him on the field.

His personal struggles continued when he was bowled for nine yesterday as Durham quickly slipped to 11 for two in reply to Leicestershire's 634 for nine declared. They eventually closed the second day on 194 for seven, still needing 291 to avoid the follow-on.

In an ideal world Paul Collingwood would become the first captain who Durham have brought up through the ranks.

But his England one-day commitments seem certain to continue to keep him away for half of every season, while his first-class career is suffering from lack of time at the crease.

He was out tamely for 17 yesterday and in ten first-class innings for Durham this season is averaging 26.5.

Durham's best period was under the captaincy of David Boon, and they will surely look for an overseas man who can do a similar job next season.

But there would be no point trying to lure Brad Hodge from Leicestershire, where he took over the captaincy in mid-season, as he has set his sights on touring with Australia next summer.

He will be 30 by then and may have left it too late, but he is a dedicated man and it was a surprise when he got out for 262 yesterday.

Only Brian Lara (501 not out) and Graeme Hick, with 315 not out at Worcester two years ago, have made more in first-class innings against Durham.

Hodge has now scored 1,233 championship runs at an average of 68.5 this season, giving the sort of value Durham need to seek very carefully.

Their own Australian, Marcus North, adopted a carefree approach yesterday when he went in at 59 for three and thrashed 48 off 37 balls. While he was putting on 81 in 13 overs with Gordon Muchall runs were flowing even more freely than in the Leicestershire innings.

But North never hinted at the same permanence as Hodge and it was no surprise when he played round his pad and was lbw to seamer Charlie Dagnall.

With five championship games left after their week off, Durham will be so far adrift they will have little chance of escaping the wooden spoon and will have no option but to look to the future.

While totesport League promotion hopes are still alive there might be some point in playing Andy Blignaut against Nottinghamshire at Cleethorpes then at home to Worcester and Somerset the week after next, but he should be allowed to depart for Tasmania without facing Somerset in the championship.

Nor will there be any point in playing Neil Killeen in the remaining four-day games, which Durham must use to further the experience of Liam Plunkett and Graham Onions, while also giving Gavin Hamilton the chance to prove he has a first-class future.

With three for 110, Onions has been the best of the bowlers in this match and the fact that he showed his dislike of some of the treatment handed out by Hodge suggests he is made of the right stuff.

As for the rest of the bowling, it could have been summed up as tripe and Onions, but allowances have to be made for Plunkett as he is only 19 and has been injured for most of the season.

With five overs to go before the new ball could be taken at the start of play yesterday, Durham merely went through the motions. Seven came off the first over from Killeen and Leicestershire had moved on from 403 to 430 for four when the new ball became due.

Even then Plunkett and Blignaut bowled a further 3.2 overs before the ball was taken, by which time Hodge was fully re-established.

He was almost bowled when he drove at Plunkett and missed on 229, but he made no other mistakes until he tried to hit Killeen back over his head and miscued to mid-off. His runs came off 299 balls with 196 in boundaries from 46 fours and two sixes.

Burly left-hander Jon Dakin smashed 71 not out before the declaration came an hour after lunch, then Gareth Breese was pinned lbw for a duck by Ottis Gibson in the fourth over of the reply.

Lewis went nowhere in losing his off stump to the West Indian and only Muchall played with any real composure.

Even he had two narrow escapes, but the third time he edged left-arm spinner Claude Henderson he was caught at slip for 60, which included 11 fours.

Henderson, the South African "Kolpak" signing, also had Collingwood caught at short extra cover and had Andrew Pratt and Blignaut stumped. As Pratt had a similar shout turned down the previous day, he was probably entitled to look aggrieved, but that's the way things go when a team is down.

There was no doubt about Blignaut's exit, however. He had already been dropped on one and reached 12 before dancing gaily down the track. He might as well have kept dancing all the way to Tasmania.

Kyle Coetzer survived an inside edge just past the wicketkeeper on four to make 31 not out. He showed the necessary application and should keep his place for the rest of the season.

Durham will have the chance to recall Nicky Peng or Gary Pratt when Collingwood returns to England duties. Their four-day form may have been disappointing this season, but they both have a big future and perhaps all it will take is a tough and experienced leader to inspire Durham to reach the sort of heights which are currently a distant dream.

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