Relegation from the top division of the County Championship and a lowly position in the second division of the National League might normally lead to a winter of discontent.

But Durham's chairman Bill Midgley is looking forward with nothing but optimism – and is even talking about staging Test matches in the county.

Following the county's disappointing showing in 2000, Midgley said that all the playing staff recognised that they could have done a lot better, especially in the one-day game where the habits of winning which departed skipper David Boon had imparted to the club had been lost.

"On too many occasions we lost in the last over of a match," said Midgley and this was reflected in Durham's position of third from bottom of the second division of the National League.

Also on the debit side it was clear that the loss of highly regarded pace bowlers Melvyn Betts (to Warwickshire) and John Wood (to Lancashire) were unwelcome developments, especially when Durham had started 2000 with one of the most feared pace quartets on the English first-class circuit when Simon Brown and Stephen Harmison were added to the now departed pair.

However, Midgley does not want to dwell on the shortcomings of 2000, but prefers to look forward to 2001. On the playing side new signing Danny Law is expected to make an important contribution. Durham had not really been able to fill the all-rounder's gap left by the injured Mike Foster's departure in 1999. Also the signing of young Scotsman James Brinkley – "a player with still something to prove" says the chairman – should help Durham improve their league position.

He hoped that Simon Katich would return for another successful year and that former skipper Nick Speak would come back to the club with renewed energy. "A lot of this is about confidence in their own ability," said Midgley when talking of the batting, "and having a few more of our batters believe that they can really do it." The new coach Martin Moxon would be a great asset, he said, and everybody at the club was geared to gaining promotion in both leagues.

When Durham entered the first-class scene in 1992, they did so without a permanent ground and headquarters. For the first three seasons Durham delighted, entertained and frustrated their supporters at home venues in Durham City, Darlington, Gateshead, Stockton and Hartlepool.

However, from 1995, the beautiful Riverside Ground at Chester-le-Street became the latest first-class venue in England. Since then the ground and Don Robson pavilion have been extended and the square has settled into one of the best in the north of England. During the 2000 NatWest Series the two One-Day Internationals played on the ground saw a total of 917 runs scored for only 17 wickets lost, an average of 54 runs per wicket.

The next stage of development is now in the offing. Midgley outlined plans for the building of an indoor cricket school in 2002 and the development of a hotel and leisure complex at the ground.

"If we can bring these plans to fruition, then we see this as an important income generator for the club," he said. "We are also now a serious contender for staging Test matches following the great successes in the summer of 2000 with the visits of Zimbabwe, England and the West Indies."

Durham expected to sell out the 2001 ODI between Australia and Pakistan and then there was another England visit lined up in 2002 when India would be the visitors.

Midgley says the county is "hopeful" about staging Test matches. "We think we can bring in as many spectators as the other northern Test venues and with seven Tests in England per year now we should get something," he said. "There is really a north/south divide in respect of test venues," he continued. "Lord's would get two Tests, The Oval one, leaving Trent Bridge and Edgbaston, along with Headingley, Old Trafford and ourselves to compete for the other four games.

"We would take what came our way in terms of a Test match," he said, adding that even if it were England against Bangladesh it would be tremendous for the club and the locality.

"We need to make sure that we are up in the big league of clubs," said Midgley because the development of two divisions meant that players and money gravitated to the top divisions. There was some evidence of this happening now and so it is clearly Durham's intention to get into the top and stay there. Being an international ground would confirm this status.

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