DURHAM'S Mark Davies is hoping this season will be the reverse of the last two, when he has been the country's leading wicket-taker until breaking down in late July.

For someone whose initial progress was impeded by collapsed lungs the injuries have proved particularly frustrating, but he now feels he is ready for a first team comeback.

It has been a long road back to fitness after a stress fracture of the back forced him to spend three months in a body brace, unable to take any exercise.

"I first felt it at Northampton then played four games with it getting steadily worse," he said. "At Southend it got to the point where I couldn't bowl any more and a scan showed a fracture in L4, one lumbar lower than where I had one when I was 17

"Because they were seven years apart it was felt my action was safe and there was no need to change it, but I have had to put in a massive effort to build my core strength and take the pressure off my back.

"I lost a lot of flexibility while I was in the brace then I started swimming and cycling just before Christmas and went to some Pilates and yoga classes.

"I have used some of what I picked up there to work on my flexibility, and Ottis Gibson has been a big help. I have seen what he does in his preparation and have tagged along with him.

"I couldn't bowl indoors in the winter because of the hard surface, so I only really started building it up on the pre-season tour in Sharjah.

"I've been trying to progress things every time I have bowled and all the work is starting to pay off now. I'm feeling confident and I just have to keep performing and wait for my chance. I can't expect to get straight back in because the lads have been bowling well."

The 25-year-old seamer wasn't happy with the way he bowled in the first innings at Oxford, but said he had difficulty finding any rhythm on a pitch with a pronounced slope in the last few strides up to the crease.

"It was better in the second innings," he said. "I've been bowling quite nicely in the last two weeks and I'm happy with the way the ball is coming out.

"I'm enjoying playing for Richmond on a Saturday. It's good of them to give me the chance and I'll play for them whenever I can. I really enjoyed bowling John Windows when we played Saltburn."

Windows, Durham's assistant academy coach, was one of four players clean bowled in Davies' six victims in the match.