THE public is batting for Durham in its bid to bring Ashes cricket to the North-East on the next Australia tour to England.

Nine days after launching its campaign to secure a Test match in the 2009 England versus Australia series, Durham County Cricket Club has attracted more than 4,000 messages of support.

Former England and Durham all-rounder Ian Botham is among the leading figures backing the bid for Ashes cricket to be staged at Durham's Riverside ground, in Chester-le-Street.

The club announced its intention to host a Test in the series on the day it submitted its official application to the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).

The club must break the "cartel" of the "big six" grounds, possibly ousting Lancashire's Old Trafford ground, in Manchester, to muscle in on the Ashes action.

But given Durham's excellent track record, and its proposal to develop the Riverside to include 18,000 permanent seats and full floodlighting by 2009, hopes are high that the ECB, may be swayed.

A club spokeswoman said yesterday: "We have been overwhelmed at the support and goodwill we have attracted in the days since the bid was launched.

"People seem to recognise the fact that the stadium is developing well and that we have performed well in the past.

"Support comes from across the board, even people who do not get to the ground are keen to see international cricket here on a regular basis."

It's good news across the board for the club with membership up 16 per cent on this time last year and only single seats remaining for this year's international fixture, a one-day match against Sri Lanka, on Saturday, June 24, for which there will be a 16,000-crowd limit.

* Messages can be sent to www.signthebat.com to back Durham's Ashes bid.