BRAD Hodge went straight into the nets on his arrival at Durham's Riverside ground yesterday, then admitted: "I can't wait to get started."

The 27-year-old Victoria batsman, who has played for Australia A, goes straight into the team to entertain Nottinghamshire in a four-day match starting today.

"I've been dying to play for the last two months, so I'm really excited about this," he said. "I got a call about it from my manager last Thursday morning and was told I had until 4pm to decide.

"But I only needed a few seconds. You can't pass up the opportunity to play county cricket. I've always fancied it, and I see this as a window of opportunity because I'm aware that the counties will be having two overseas men next season.

"This is a beautiful ground, and if the pitch we play on tomorrow is as good as the practice wicket I'll be rapped."

Hodge immediately picked out some mistakes in his career statistics taken from the internet, pointing out that he has 16 first-class centuries, not 14, and his average is 39.82.

He takes over for the rest of the season from Martin Love, whose badly-broken finger is taking longer than expected to heal, and is likely to take Love's position at No 3.

"I'm definitely not an opener," he said. "I tend to bat four in first-class and three in the one-day games for Victoria.

"I also enjoy bowling my off-spin, although with someone called Shane Warne in our team it can be hard to get on. Our coach, David Hookes, believes I have a bigger part to play with my bowling in the future."

In his haste to get to England Hodge missed a telephone call from his former teammate Dean Jones, who was Durham's first overseas player in 1992.

"He rang my girlfriend in the middle of the night," he said. "I'm not sure what the message was, but knowing Deano he would have wanted to tell me everything about Durham, including the golf courses.

"He's now running a management agency, but he's also thinking about playing on the senior pro golf tour.

"He was one of my childhood idols and he was very influential in my early career. You can't fail to learn from a man like him."

Hodge's previous experience of playing in England was two seasons with Ramsbottom in the Lancashire League, but he was resigned to an inactive off season until the call came from Durham.

"I've been playing a lot of golf since our season ended and working on my fitness. I've only picked a bat up twice in the last couple of months, but I felt pretty good in the nets here.

"Any Australian coming to play here would want to average 50-plus, and if I can do that I'll be happy and the team should do well."

Durham will be without Gordon Muchall today because of England Under 19 duty, while Graeme Bridge will be out for at least a month after dislocating and breaking a finger during fielding practice on Sunday.

There is also a doubt about Nicky Peng, who has trapped a nerve at the base of his spine, and if he is not fit Marc Symington will retain his place at No 5.

Nottinghamshire arrive fresh from a dramatic one-wicket win at Derby on Monday, when skipper Jason Gallian scored an unbeaten century as they knocked off a total of over 300.

Since the teams met in the B & H Cup at Trent Bridge in early May, England A bowler Paul Franks has also returned after a length injury absence and South Afican spin bowling all-rounder Nicky Boje has filled the overseas slot.

Durham: J J B Lewis (capt), G J Pratt, B Hodge, P D Collingwood, N Peng (or M J Symington), D R Law, A Pratt, N C Phillips, A M Davies, N Killeen, S J Harmison.