DURHAM have signed paceman Brad Williams, who has played in four Tests for Australia, as their replacement overseas bowler.

But they are still seeking a deputy for his Western Australia team-mate Mike Hussey and coach Martyn Moxon admitted: "It's a massive hole to fill."

Hopes that Nathan Astle would return have been thwarted as the New Zealanders are not available until September 9, so Durham are desperately seeking an opening batsman who can be here by the end of this month.

Williams, 30, has taken nine Test wickets at an average of 45, but has an impressive one-day international record of 35 wickets at 23.25 in his 25 matches.

"He's a strong, aggressive fast bowler," said Hussey, who needs 18 runs from his final match at Scarborough next week to reach 1,000 championship runs for the season after making 61 not out yesterday.

It took his tally to 460 from three innings against Leicestershire but he was quite happy to call a halt at 5.30pm with Durham on 103 for two in their second innings, still 25 behind in the rain-ruined match at Riverside.

Hussey revealed that he had discussed making a game of it with his opposite number Hylton Ackerman, but they had been unable to agree a target.

Leicestershire batted on to make 443 as Gareth Breese became the first Durham spinner for four years to take a five-wicket haul at Riverside.

The Jamaican off-spinner took his tally to 19 wickets in the last three games after taking only seven in the first ten.

It mirrors his efforts last season, when his ten-wicket match haul won the game against Yorkshire at Scarborough, the scene of Durham's next championship battle.

The ten points they took from this game gave them a 25.5 point lead at the top over Yorkshire, who have two games in hand.

When Leicestershire resumed on 217 for three the runs flowed against the four specialist seamers and the total had advanced to 323 for three before Breese came on.

Dinesh Mongia drove his second ball for six and thrashed 20 off the over, but Breese had the Indian left-hander stumped for 164 on the way to figures of five for 91.

Not since Graeme Bridge's six for 84 against Hampshire in August, 2001, had a Durham spinner taken five wickets at Riverside.

Mick Lewis, in his final championship match before making way for Williams, took the other two wickets and Durham were left with 43 overs to bat had play gone on until 6pm.

When Mongia resumed on 77 in the morning - already his best score for Leicestershire - he took three successive fours off the third over of the day from Liam Plunkett.

After bowling so well the previous evening, Plunkett failed to locate the right length as a clip through mid-wicket was followed by an off-drive and a cut.

Mongia later hit three fours in four balls off Graham Onions, whose figures of none for 73 in 12 overs took his analysis to one for 198 in the last three games.

Australian Callum Thorp looked the better bet and was unlucky not to take a wicket as he beat the bat several times in his second spell after lunch.

But while he and Onions were bowling in tandem in the morning Mongia and Ackerman motored merrily along and Mongia was on 128 when Breese was introduced.

The Indian will be no stranger to facing spin bowling and after lifting Breese's second ball for a sweet six he sat back to cut two fours before a slog/sweep produced another six.

But in his next over Breese forced Ackerman to play on for 61, then in the over before lunch Mongia wandered down the pitch to a ball which pitched wide of off stump and turned wider to give Phil Mustard a simple stumping.

Mongia hit 26 fours and three sixes in his 191-ball innings, but the runs dried up on his exit.

With four balls of the over left to be bowled after the break, Breese immediately struck again as he made one bounce and turn to have Aftab Habib caught at silly point by Paul Collingwood.

Then Ottis Gibson, suppressing his natural instincts, poked around for seven balls before edging to Mustard.

Paul Nixon and Claude Henderson ensured that the fifth batting point was achieved for reaching 400, at which point Lewis was recalled.

He ended the stand of 44 by pinning Nixon lbw for 26 then sent David Masters' off stump cartwheeling before last man Charl Willoughby drove Breese to long-on.

After an opening stand of 42, Durham lost James Lowe and Collingwood, both lbw, before Gordon Muchall joined his captain in an unbroken stand of 42.

* Durham have left Nicky Peng out of their squad for tonight's crucial totesport League match against Leicestershire at Riverside.

Gavin Hamilton, who has yet to appear in the first team this season, is preferred for the floodlit match, which starts at 4.10.

Durham have also drafted Gary Pratt and Neil Killeen into a 13-man squad, leaving out James Lowe from the side which completed the championship clash yesterday.

Although Durham have a game in hand, Leicestershire have edged ahead of them into the third promotion spot.

Peng has been Durham's regular No 3 in totesport matches, scoring half-centuries in three successive matches in May. But he has been badly out of form recently.

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