DURHAM will clear the decks today hoping that a winter of strengthening the squad will prepare them for a more serious crack at promotion next season.

The players will find out this morning which of them are to be released and it could be as many as five, which will allow some leeway for signings.

"We have to strengthen in some areas and cover all bases with the budget we have," said coach Martyn Moxon, who admitted he was disappointed the promotion challenge had fizzled out.

It ended with the 126-run defeat at Bristol on Saturday, when Durham batted a man short because Graeme Bridge had permission to return to the North-East to be present at the birth of his daughter.

"With five wins our championship form has improved on last year," said Moxon. "Two games ago we had a chance of promotion, but we haven't played well enough in either match.

"We are not the finished article by any means, but we are still a pretty young side and will continue to improve.

"It didn't help that we had to bat on a miserable day in our first innings at Bristol. Gloucestershire exploited the conditions and bowled well, but we didn't bowl well enough throughout the match."

Resuming on 171 for four on Saturday, still 273 behind, Martin Love and Nicky Peng took their stand to 83 before Peng fell for 38 with the total on 220.

He edged left-arm spinner Ian Fisher to Jack Russell and, despite Love going on to make 97 and Liam Plunkett an unbeaten 40, Durham were all out for 318.

Fisher finished with a personal best match return of ten for 123, while off-spinner Martyn Ball, who has been preferred for most of the season, didn't take a wicket.

Bradford-born Fisher was released by Yorkshire after playing only one match in the championship-winning team in 2001.

Phil Mustard and Shoaib Akhtar both perished going for big hits off Fisher, then Love fell agonisingly just short of a century for the second time in the match.

If there is one stroke he has not mastered it is the sweep, and it proved his downfall as a top edge lobbed to slip.

It was all over 6.3 overs after lunch when Nicky Phillips fended a short ball from Jonathan Lewis to third slip, leaving Plunkett stranded after hitting seven fours in his 51-ball innings.

Glamorgan's 20-run defeat by Northants means they are 15 points behind Gloucestershire, so they will come to Riverside for the final game on Wednesday still with a very faint chance of promotion. But they will probably be praying for a total washout in Gloucestershire's match at Headingley.

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