DURHAM will need to take a careful look at their cricket management following the decision to relieve Nick Speak of the captaincy before he had completed a full season.

Speak has not been available for comment but there can be no doubt that he will be devastated. He saw the job as a great honour and was prepared to work hard at it.

Now the list of those who will be judged as a failure, a list which probably includes all Durham captains other than David Boon, who at times on the field could appear the most clueless of all.

Boon's off-field influence was enormous, and he had the benefit over the others of being a world-class player strong enough to shoulder the demands of a difficult job without it affecting his ability to lead by example at the crease.

Durham believed that what Boon brought to the club during his three years was sufficiently well ingrained for them to be able to take a gamble on Speak.

Now those who took that decision have to accept that they were wrong. Either that or they simply didn't create the right environment or provide the necessary back-up for Speak to succeed.

Everyone knows that in this high-powered age, in sport as well as business, it is necessary to keep moving forward in order to keep pace with the rest.

To restore Geoff Cook to his pre-Boon title of Director of Cricket was a backward step. Cook is more comfortable working with the academy boys than being in the frontline and there has been little change in his low profile this season.

No doubt he has a valuable role to play, but Durham need a strong cricketing figurehead. It is asking too much of coach Norman Gifford to fulfil that role at the age of 60 -- only exceptional people like Bobby Robson continue to make a big mark in professional sport beyond that age.

Durham lean heavily on the views of Graham Gooch, who is to be commended on his part in bringing Simon Katich to the club. But the fruits of his labours as batting coach are not readily obvious, with the only notable impovement being in Paul Collingwood's one-day form.

It is very much a part-time capacity for Gooch, although doubtless a lucrative one, and it merely adds to the impression that the cricket management is a bits-and-pieces affair which lacks a strong leader.

In such an environment it would be another big gamble to saddle Jon Lewis with the captaincy, although they might feel they can get away with it for a season in division two until Katich's future becomes clearer.

To sort out the finances and keep the playing side moving forward has clearly been a tall order for chairman Bill Midgley in his first season. He appears to be succeeding in the former, but where can be find another Boon-like character to help him with the latter