DURHAM coach Geoff Cook lavished praise on strike bowlers Graham Onions and Steve Harmison as his reigning champions swept ten points clear at the top of the LV County Championship yesterday.

Onions took seven for 38 to reach 52 first-class wickets for the season as Durham clinched a dramatic ten-wicket win against Warwickshire at Edgbaston with four overs remaining.

Ten of the previous 11 fourday games at the ground had been drawn, and as most of the second day was lost to rain Cook said: “It has to be one of the best wins in our first-class history.

“The pitch was slightly prepared to suit their spinners, so for our pacemen to take all those wickets was outstanding.

“It was crucial that we were able to enforce the follow- on, but it was never going to be easy to bowl them out again in just over two sessions.

The opening spell of ten overs was some of the best new-ball bowling you could wish to see.

“We didn’t quite get our rewards then, but we kept the squeeze on them and overall it was an excellent, well-organised effort.”

Cook fears being without both Onions and Harmison for the next championship match at home to bottom club Worcestershire, starting on June 30, and it is highly unlikely that Liam Plunkett will be fit to return. His groin problem is worse than thought and Durham are seeking further medical advice.

The Worcestershire match clashes with England’s Ashes warm-up match against Warwickshire and England Lions’ game against the Australians at Worcester.

“Onions was brilliant today, as was Harmison yesterday,” said Cook.

“Graham did well in the first two Tests of the summer so should keep his place, and if the selectors want Steve he would be very keen to play.

“Callum Thorp was struggling a bit with a side injury, so we were effectively down to two seamers and they showed an amazing competitive spirit.

“It was good to have Ian Blackwell keeping an end going by bowling left-arm over into the rough. He was difficult to score off and Warwickshire didn’t know whether to stick or twist.”

Durham have now won three successive championship games for only the third time in their history after drawing the first three.

“We could have won two of those, so these performances haven’t come out of the blue,” said Cook.

“We needed these wins to give us a bit of a buffer because we are bound to lose players.

“Mark Davies will make his comeback in the second team next week.

“We are allowed 12 players in those games, which isn’t very satisfactory, but it gives us a chance to ease him back in.”

Mark Stoneman is expected to be fit for the Worcestershire match as he will have a week’s rest while Durham return to Twenty20 Cup action, starting with Tuesday night’s trip to Derby.

Australian David Warner will make his debut in that game with Durham needing to win their four matches to have a chance of reaching the quarter-finals.