Who is the captain?

Dale Benkenstein

Who are the overseas players?

Neil McKenzie (South Africa), Albie Morkel (South Africa, Twenty20 only), Shivnarine Chanderpaul (West Indies)

Who has arrived?

Luke Evans, Lee Goddard, McKenzie, Morkel

Who has left?

Ottis Gibson (retired), Scott Styris

What has the IPL/ICL done to them?

Benkenstein has played in the ICL, but his availability will not be affected

What is their nickname?

Dynamos

How did they fare last season?

LV County Championship: 2nd, first division; NatWest Pro40: winners, second division; Friends Provident Trophy: winners; Twenty20 Cup: 5th, North group. Durham's best season since joining the first-class ranks in 1992 with their first silverware. Their only failing was a poor Twenty20 Cup campaign

What are their prospects?

How to better last season? Ottis Gibson's retirement leaves a hole the size of 80 first-class wickets that needs to be filled, but Stephen Harmison will be around more if he fails to regain his England Test place. The batting has plenty of depth, with McKenzie and Chanderpaul the experienced hired hands and Michael Di Venuto now classed as a non-overseas player thanks to his Italian passport. Forza Durham!

What are their strengths?

The seam attack is one of the strongest in the country, even without Gibson. Harmison will be supported by Graham Onions, Liam Plunkett and Mark Davies, a rich crop of home-grown seam bowlers. In Benkenstein, they also have one of county cricket's shrewdest captains

What are their weaknesses?

They lack a match-winning spinner. Paul Wiseman, the former New Zealand off spinner, performed creditably towards the end of last season, but he hardly strikes fear into opposing batsmen

One to watch

Graham Onions. The leading wicket-taker on the England Lions' tour to India this winter, Onions will be seriously considered for international recognition this summer if he can shine for Durham