WITH four wins in four games behind him since his return from injury, Durham vice-captain Paul Collingwood is ready for the challenge at Northampton over the next five days.

After a poor start, Northants now look certain of promotion on both fronts, but Collingwood said: "There's no better feeling than winning and confidence is high. It's going to be an exciting few games.

"There's a definite feeling that we can gain promotion in the championship because we believe we can bowl sides out with Shoaib Akhtar back.

"Northants will probably concentrate on spin, but we have to combat that in our own way, attacking them whenever we can and defending when necessary."

Collingwood made only nine on his championship return in the innings win against Hampshire, but has scored 45, 48 and 54 in the National League wins against Hampshire, Sussex and Derbyshire.

"It's good to get back and I hope a fresh pair of legs has helped the team," he said.

"I have felt in pretty good nick and my shoulder feels fairly strong.

"I still need a bit more strength in it because I haven't been keeping my front elbow up as well as I would like on some of my drives. I've come off some of them so that I haven't put away the real half vollies.

"But the bowling has gone better than I could have expected. You would think that would take the longest, but my rhythm has felt pretty good."

With England's winter parties for trips to Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and the West Indies to be announced shortly, Collingwood admits that a few more runs would not go amiss.

In Durham's home match against Northants Gary Pratt scored 150 and they led by five runs on first innings, only to crumble from 70 without loss to 199 all out in the second.

Off-spinner Jason Brown took seven for 69 and Northants raced to victory by eight wickets, claiming the extra half hour on the third day.

As draws in their remaining three games will be enough to take Northants up, the Wantage Road pitch is expected to be of the sort which regularly produced scores of 600-plus a couple of years ago.

They then started scrubbing the ends in an effort to help their spinners and ensure a result, but they were very lucky not to have points deducted because of the pitch for this season's match against Derbyshire and will not be taking any risks.

Whatever they produce, it will not suit Shoaib and Durham are hoping he is fresh enough after his return from Pakistan on Monday for his sheer pace to unsettle the hosts.

Shoaib returns at the expense of Nicky Hatch, while Nicky Phillips is also in the squad as there is every chance they will play two spinners.

Michael Gough has travelled as cover for Nicky Peng, but August's Player of the Month is expected to have recovered from the flu which sidelined him at Derby on Sunday.

Durham (from): J J B Lewis (capt), G J Pratt, M L Love, P D Collingwood, N Peng, A M Thorpe, P Mustard, G D Bridge, N C Phillips, Shoaib Akhtar, N Killeen, A M Davies, M A Gough

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