DURHAM'S Stephen Harmison returned home from recording his best one-day bowling figures in Cardiff on Monday to find a Welshman on the phone yesterday.

Former Glamorgan captain Hugh Morris, now the ECB's Director of Operations, had the task of informing Harmison and teammate Nicky Peng that they have been selected for the new National Academy.

Another Durham name in the squads announced yesterday was that of Paul Collingwood, who has retained his place in the England one-day party for the trip to Zimbabwe at the end of next month.

While Peng was a certainty for the academy, Harmison appeared to have slipped back in the selectors' thoughts after missing last winter's A tour with sore shins.

So he was delighted to receive the call, saying: "Anything that is going to make you a better cricketer is worthwhile.

"I'm looking forward to the trip to Australia and I'm keen to find out more details."

The selectors went beyond their original stipulation of a 19-23 age group to include 24-year-old Yorkshire batsman Matthew Wood, which probably counted against Durham's Gary Pratt. Yorkshire's 21-year-old off-spinner Richard Dawson is the shock selection for England's tours of India and New Zealand this winter. And six other Yorkshire players were named yesterday in the various England parties that are going abroad over the next few months.

Michael Vaughan, Matthew Hoggard, Craig White and Dawson are all in the Test match squads, Ryan Sidebottom, White and Hoggard are part of the one-day squad for Zimbabwe, and Matthew Wood and Steven Kirby are both among the 16 youngsters, mainly under 23 years of age, who will join the first National Academy class in Adelaide either side of Christmas.

Dawson has enjoyed a meteoric rise since winning his Yorkshire first team place this season and has captured 28 wickets in seven Championship appearances at an average of 29.10 runs apiece.

"I am absolutely thrilled and astounded," he said. "It has come as a very big surprise.

"I just wasn't expecting anything at the start of this season and my main aim was simply to try to play in ten Championship games for Yorkshire but things began badly when I broke my finger in the first match.

"But I have done well since I came into the side and those six wickets I took against Glamorgan at Scarborough last week probably clinched it."

Both Wood and Kirby reacted with surprise to learn that they are going to the Academy.

Wood said: "It is stunning news and it is still sinking in. I thought I might have been be slightly too old to make it for the Academy but the fact that I am going shows that I am well thought of."

Kirby, too, was overjoyed at his selection.

"It has been absolutely brilliant just playing alongside my heroes in the Yorkshire side and to get noticed by England is almost too much to take in," said Kirby.