Harmison blow for Durham

Harmison: Resting

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Durham have been refused permission to rush Steve Harmison back into Championship action.

Harmison's county captain Dale Benkenstein hoped to be given the green light to play the rejuvenated England paceman against table-toppers Nottinghamshire at the Riverside.

Harmison was originally ordered to rest, but after the first day of the match was washed out, Durham asked the England and Wales Cricket Board to reconsider.

However, their request was officially rejected on Tuesday evening.

Harmison, impressive on his England return in the final Test against South Africa, had said last week he was keen to play against Nottinghamshire.

Yet with the Test finishing on Monday, the ECB did not want Harmison to travel 300 miles from The Oval and play again.

Can't understand

Benkenstein believes the extra day due to the weather should have made all the difference.

He said: "I can't understand what he's been rested for - because he's not in the one-day set-up, and the next Test match is in about five months' time.

"If Stephen had said he wanted to rest, obviously that's fine.

"He has now had two days off, because he didn't bowl yesterday - or today.

"Going straight from yesterday to a game today might have been asking a bit much."

England coach Peter Moores explained the reasons for resting Harmison.

"The first job with Steve was really to decide in the short term what was best for him," he said.

"Durham were starting a game on Tuesday. To be fair to him, I spoke to Steve on Sunday after we came off the field - and he was emotionally and physically drained.

"He'd put a lot into the Test match; he'd waited a long time for his comeback game and he did a fantastic job.

"His first job is to have a bit of a break, recharge the batteries and then go back to Durham."

The waters have been muddied, though, not just by the rain which has provided Harmison with an extra day to recover but the fact that the ECB made their decision partly in an attempt to be fair to both teams - Nottinghamshire's England bowlers Stuart Broad and Ryan Sidebottom are also unavailable.

Benkenstein, for one, was left confused - while Durham chief executive David Harker conceded: "England have every right to rest centrally-contracted players.

"But we expect that decision to be based entirely on what is good for the players and good for England."

The Durham captain was more pointed.

"I can't understand what they are resting him for," Benkenstein said. "I would understand it a bit better if there was a reason behind it but I can't see why.

"If they'd gone out and celebrated after winning the Test, it's a bit tough on the guy to come and play - he must enjoy his win; I'm quite happy with that.

"But he was already at home last night."

It seems clear Harmison was full of optimism, before he took the field at The Oval - about returning to play against Nottinghamshire.

But in the course of the 43 overs he bowled in the victory over South Africa, the effort may have taken its toll.

"He told me before he went on the field at The Oval that he wanted to play here, because the England game was over on the Monday," Benkenstein reported.

"Just before day four, we got a call from the ECB to say he would not be available because with the effort he has put in he is knackered - which is fine."

Benkenstein's enthusiasm to have Harmison back in harness was understandable, at a venue where 40 wickets controversially fell in little more than two days against Kent last week.

With 48 wickets under his belt so far this season, Harmison has proved to Benkenstein that he is likely to derive only further benefit from adding to the near 400 first-class overs he has already bowled.

"I appreciated Harmy's commitment. He said he really wanted to play," he recalled.

"He knows now what is best for him - and surely they [England] should know by now that the only way he gets up to his standards, bowling wise, is to bowl.

"From our own point of view, we have a good chance to win the championship - and he has been a major factor in getting us to this position.

"We would obviously like him to be available if he is fit and ready to go."