'I think it's going to be exciting viewing for everyone'- Men's Head coach Ryan Campbell looks ahead to the 2026 season

After all, he has been here before, it was Campbell who guided Durham to promotion from Division Two in 2023.

Campbell admitted: "Relegation hit everyone hard, not just the players, but my coaching staff and the club as a whole."

After the calamitous final day at Yorkshire, when Durham were skittled out for 85 on a day when a draw would have been enough for survival, Campbell had to have some difficult conversations throughout the winter.

"Sometimes you've got to put your arm around some, some you have to tell a few home truths to, and that's been the process of the winter," he added.

Yet there is no doubt Durham have the quality to bounce back at the first time of asking, it's their young talent that really catches the eye.

Ben McKinney, Emilio Gay and James Minto are three players in Durham's ranks who all have England ambitions – the latter may have to wait a few more years but after England's torrid winter, McKinney and Gay are surely in the frame to earn their first Test cap.

While the Australian coach is happy to see his players in the England conversation, he is clear that Durham runs must come first.

"If they're thinking about playing for England, they're not going to play well for Durham," he said. "If all of our individuals play well, someone will come ring you. It doesn't work the other way around."

Before any England caps can be earned, however, there is the small matter of winning promotion back to Division One.

Campbell and his staff have spent the off-season picking apart what went wrong and what went right, and they have made some astute acquisitions as a result.

On the additions of Kemar Roach and Kasey Aldridge, Campbell said: "Kemar's an unbelievable international player, he's won County Championships before. He's the most exciting player we've had here as an overseas player.

"Kasey Aldridge is so exciting, he can bat, he can bowl and he's got a point to prove himself, as he didn't quite get the opportunity he would've liked at Somerset."

In the penultimate game of last season, Aldridge showed his quality with 180 against Hampshire, if he produces that kind of form, he is sure to be a major asset.

One of Durham's issues last season in red ball cricket was their over-reliance on Ben Raine, who took 44 wickets — 15 more than next best Matthew Potts.

Campbell admitted: "He literally carried us for most of the year, played in more games than we would have liked. That's what you get from Ben Raine, he's lionhearted."

As a result, they have made every effort to build a fully fit group around Raine, having sent bowlers to Australia over the winter.

"We sent three of our guys to Australia to bowl more overs than they've ever bowled before," Campbell explained. "Young Luke Robinson, not many have heard about him, but he's bowling 90 miles an hour at the minute, which is exciting."

Durham's season begins at home to Kent on Friday, and Campbell is in no doubt about what lies ahead.

He concluded: "When they establish how they're going to play, and play to their optimum, I think it's going to be really exciting viewing for everyone."