THE appointment of Martyn Moxon as coach has heightened Durham's expectations of an immediate return to Division One.

Following the disappointing break-up of the highly-respected seam attack, a season of consolidation might perhaps be more realistic. Yet a glance at their Division Two rivals suggests they have little to fear, with once-mighty Middlesex looking positively emaciated.

The departure of Melvyn Betts, in particular, was a huge blow as much had been invested in him and he held three of the county's best four first-class analyses.

Two years ago Betts was an England prospect, but he has slipped down the rankings and hopes to flourish under the coaching of Bob Woolmer at Edgbaston, where Durham are due on May 9 for what is likely to prove one of their tougher championship tests.

Betts said he had ceased to enjoy his cricket with his native county, but there is little doubt that both he and John Wood were lured by more lucrative packages than Durham could offer as they raise the money to build a much-needed indoor school.

It was very noticeable how Wood strived to impress on two visits to Old Trafford last season, in stark contrast to his efforts in the dreadful defeat at Derby, which ended hopes of top-flight survival and also halted Nick Speak's reign as captain.

Wood had a year left on his contract and Durham initially said they would hold him to it. But he is not always the most wholehearted of performers and if he was unhappy they were right to let him go.

The replacements are Scotland-born, Australia-raised James Brinkley, who went to the same Perth school as Simon Katich, and former Sussex and Essex all-rounder Danny Law. Questions are bound to be asked as to why Law is on his third county at the age of 25, but he was very keen to come and hopefully the Riverside will witness the full flowering of his exciting talent.

Durham have lacked genuine all-rounders and if Law proves good enough to bat at seven in the championship he will offer the option of including a spinner more often.

That would be good news for left-armer Graeme Bridge, who needs some first-class exposure if he is to progress into Durham's first successful home-grown spinner.

Durham have awarded full-time contracts to two of their four England Under 19 tourists, batsmen Nicky Peng and Gary Pratt, while a third, all-rounder Ian Pattison, has been put on a development contract.

Pratt, a left-hander, joins his wicketkeeping brother Andrew on a staff of 20, of which 13 are North-Easterners. Although Marc Symington played only once last season and Bridge not at all, the only one still awaiting his first-class debut is 6ft 8in Darlington paceman Nicky Hatch, who has spent the winter in Australia.

He will probably have to wait his turn behind Ian Hunter, whose bowling was timed at 90mph at last season's Sky-televised floodlit match against Hampshire.

Hunter spent 15 days at Dennis Lillee's pace bowling school in Madras in January and will be ready to step in should anything befall Simon Brown, Steve Harmison or Neil Killeen.

Harmison pulled out of the England A tour to the West Indies because of a shin problem, which was diagnosed as being biomechanical.

He is working on a slight realignment of his left foot to ease the strain and if it helps to give him better control and improved fitness he will be a huge asset.

Otherwise a large burden will fall back on the shoulders of Brown in his richly-deserved benefit season.

It still rankles with some members that John Morris jumped the queue ahead of Brown for a benefit and the left-armer can expect healthy rewards.

Durham were surprised to find Moxon among the 25 applicants for the coach's job and see it as quite a coup to capture him from their more illustrious neighbours, while he relishes the chance to work in a fresher set-up.

"My move has nothing to do with money," he stressed. "This job offers a tremendous challenge at a forward-looking club with huge potential."

He is already part of the England coaching set-up, and if he can get more Durham batsmen averaging 30-plus in the championship that will represent welcome progress.

Only Katich managed that last season, with Speak second on 29.05. At least new skipper Jon Lewis can boast a career average of 34.17 in his four years with Durham and he is due a good season. It is time for Michael Gough to kick on, while Jimmy Daley needs to start where he left off after a disappointing season, when he scored 104 and 50 in the last two National League games.

Paul Collingwood had an excellent National League season with 607 runs at 46.69, but failed to improve on a first-class career average of 26.19. He has the ability to get that up to 35 and as he will be 25 next month this is a good time to start.

"We need three or four people scoring around 1,000 runs," said Lewis. "If we can get runs on the board we are confident we can bowl sides out."

And Moxon is in no doubt that the first target must be promotion

"The next aim will be to stay there," he said. "With the development structure in place here and the talent coming through I see no reason why we shouldn't achieve that."