Skipper Benkenstein ready to pass mantle on to Smith

10:24am Tuesday 30th September 2008

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DURHAM’S Player of the Year Will Smith last night declared himself ready and willing to take over the captaincy if asked.

Dale Benkenstein, who has done the job for three years, still has three years on his contract but is keen to hand over the reins after leading the team to the county championship title.

Benkenstein said Smith had all the credentials to take over, and even claimed he could go on and captain England.

Smith said: “When you get those kind of comments from someone who is so well respected in the game you can only feel chuffed.

“Dale has under-pinned what we have achieved. Without him we would not have had this kind of success. He’s a fantastic cricketer and a great bloke.”

Smith was captain for two years of a Bedford School team which included Essex opener Alastair Cook, who himself is seen as a future England leader.

Smith also captained Durham University for two years and said: “That probably stood me in good stead, because we were playing firstclass games and we were up against it. There were a few tricky decisions to be made, so I feel I’ve done enough to give it a go.

“If I seemed reluctant when Dale first mentioned it a couple of weeks ago it was because of the initial shock. All I was concerned about this season was making enough runs to stay in the team.

“The club haven’t officially asked me about it and I don’t think it will be mentioned for a while yet until the celebrations die down and they’ve had time to think about it.

“But if I was offered the captaincy I’d love to do it. It would be a m a s s i v e privilege if the club did see that as the way forward.

“It would be silly of me to turn it down because it would be a massive honour to take on the legacy that Dale has provided.”

Smith revealed that the moment when Durham could really celebrate on Saturday was delayed because the team bus entered the Blackwell Tunnel on the M25 just as the Hampshire appeal went up which secured their win against Nottinghamshire.

“We didn’t know whether Charlie Shreck had been given out or not, but when we came out of the other side of the tunnel the Sky transmission showed the players walking off at Trent Bridge, so we knew it was all over.

“After losing two semi-finals and looking like we would be pipped for the title it seemed we were destined to be bridesmaids this season.

For things to have worked out the way they have still hasn’t really sunk in yet.

“The club is on the up and up. It has great players and infrastructure and everything is in place for us to be successful.

“As Dale has said, most of the guys manage themselves.

The captaincy is just a case of making a few decisions at the right time.”

Head coach Geoff Cook invited the squad, with their families, to a barbecue at his house on Sunday, which was also Smith’s 26th birthday.

“I turned up a bit late, but it was a lovely day,” he said.

“Then to see all the fans turn up at Riverside to see us with the trophy was very special.”