Benkenstein made to wait

Dale Benkenstein faces an anxious wait

Durham captain Dale Benkenstein admitted “it’s out of our hands now” as they wait to discover if Friday’s victory over Kent is enough to secure the LV County Championship title.

The north-east county face an agonising wait to see if they have won the championship after completing an eight-wicket win at Canterbury.

A win for Sussex against Worcestershire at Hove would see the southern county retain their title, barring an unlikely win for Lancashire against Surrey at the Brit Oval.

And Benkenstein said: “We are really just pleased to have done as much as we could do and we just have to wait and see.

“Sussex look like they are in a pretty strong position and it's out of our hands now.

“If they win that game they'll be top, I don't think we can come any lower than second as I think Lancashire are going to have to battle to win.

“It's been the best ever, an unbelievable season and to be where we are shows commitment and the quality of the team we have. There is nothing more that we can do, we had the opportunity here to put the other teams under pressure. They (Kent) have fielded their strongest team bar one player, so it's been really satisfying.”

Ottis Gibson has been Durham's star bowler

On his own performance, having hit his third championship hundred of the season, he said: “It wasn't the easiest wicket; we knew one of us had to try and get a hundred. I have been getting sixties and have been fairly consistent but it's nice to get a hundred.”

Asked if he thought at the start of the season that the team could do so well - they won the Friends Provident Trophy and achieved promotion to the First Division of the Pro40 next season, he said: “In one-day cricket I thought we had a good squad and in four-day cricket the top four was going to be the goal.

“To be realistic from where we are to get into the top four we thought we had the squad to be able to do that if we played well. We had individual players who have really come on and young guys who have scored hundreds and put up performances that have helped us win games.

“Michael Di Venuto has given us a start nearly every game and been consistent at the top of the order. Gibbo (Ottis Gibson) has had a phenomenal season; it is amazing how individuals can make a huge difference.

“He has been outstanding and probably the difference between finishing in mid-table and vying for a championship.

“We also had Harmy (Steve Harmison) at the beginning of the season who won us a couple of games so it's really been a fantastic squad effort.

“There is a confidence growing in the Durham squad that wasn't there over the years and there has been improvement technically. Experience-wise with the guys playing more games they are starting to believe that we are a good side and as we win the self-belief grows and grows.

“We want to get better for next season, we have talked about that.”