DURHAM have strengthened their bowling resources for division one next season by signing West Indian paceman Ottis Gibson from Leicestershire.

Although he will be 37 in March, he has a good fitness record and is also a hard-hitting batsman with a first-class century to his name.

Gibson qualifies on residential grounds and Durham expect to confirm shortly that Australian seamer Mick Lewis will be back as their overseas bowler.

They have also awarded a two-year contract to last season's second team wicketkeeper, Garry Park, and are confident that Gary Pratt will stay.

Pratt has delayed signing a one-year contract, but coach Martyn Moxon said: "He seems happy to stay on the understanding that if he makes a significant contribution to the first team we will extend his contract. If he doesn't break into the team he probably wouldn't want to hang around anyway."

Gibson, from Barbados, played in two Tests and 15 one-day internationals in the 1990s, when he also spent three years with Glamorgan.

He is an ECB coach who did some work in schools during his two years with Leicestershire, but Moxon said: "We have signed him for his cricketing prowess.

"Obviously his knowledge of the game will be invaluable, as our experienced players showed this year. He's in good shape and played in 90 per cent of Leicestershire's games over the last two seasons. They offered him another year, but he fancied the challenge of coming here.

"He likes the set-up and the fact that we have some talented players coming through and wants to do his bit to help that progress."

Gibson took 60 championship wickets at 24.08 in 2004, when he also averaged 30 with the bat. This year he took 44 wickets at 36.47 after getting off to a bad start with three for 121 when Durham scored 523 for eight declared at Grace Road.

* Hampshire paceman Chris Tremlett has been ruled out of England's tour to Pakistan after failing to recover from a hamstring injury.

The 24-year-old has been struggling with the problem since May.

He was selected in the original 17-man squad - along with Glamorgan bowler Simon Jones who was ruled out this month - but failed to come through fitness training at the academy in Loughborough this week.

The selectors have chosen not to replace him in the touring party, which leaves for the sub-continent on October 25.

Durham fast bowler Liam Plunkett, initially selected in the one-day squad, has already been promoted to the Test squad to replace Jones.

* Captain Graeme Smith has called upon the World XI to show heart in the six-day Test against Australia this week.

South African Smith did not feature in the humiliating 3-0 defeat dished out to the international all-stars by the Australians in last week's one-dayers but is conscious of the need to lift performance levels at Sydney.

Another one-sided affair could affect the chance of further Super Series matches in the future.

Smith, the youngest member of the international party at 24, said: ''If we can get all 11 individuals up to the standards they have achieved throughout their careers I believe we can go a long way to winning this Test match.''

Smith will have two of Australia's summer conquerors, Andrew Flintoff and Steve Harmison, at his disposal as well as spin duo Muttiah Muralitharan and Daniel Vettori.

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