AS the dust settles on the cricket season, it is right that we pay tribute to the achievements of Durham County Cricket Club.

Not content with claiming the Friends Provident Trophy last month - the club's first piece of silverware since gaining first-class status in 1991 - Durham also won division two of the Pro40 Championship and finished second in the first division of the County Championship.

Skipper Dale Benkenstein spoke of his disappointment after his side narrowly failed to overhaul Sussex and complete an unprecedented treble at the weekend, but every member of the Durham squad should be proud of their performances this season.

For any side to perform so strongly on three fronts is a remarkable achievement.

For Durham to do so after 15 years of firstclass cricket is extra special.

And the plaudits don't finish there. As well as performing heroics on the pitch, Durham have also provided England with their new one-day captain. Paul Collingwood's trips to the North-East might be few and far between these days, but England's skipper remains a Shotley Bridge boy at heart.

Collingwood was the proudest man in the country when the Riverside successfully hosted a Test match between England and the West Indies in June, a game that cemented Durham's status as one of the core constituencies of the English game.

Our warm congratulations go out to everyone associated with Durham County Cricket Club - we're proud of you.