Martyn Moxon Photo CricInfo

Former Yorkshire captain and coach Martyn Moxon today officially signed as first-team coach for Durham.

In signing Moxon, chairman Bill Midgley said: "This is a crucial appointment for Durham, perhaps one of the most important we have made as it will have a huge impact on our cricket performance in the next few years."

Moxon was the outstanding applicant from more than 20 who had applied, including interest from Australia and South Africa, said Midgley. Moxon would "pull us back from the disappointments of last season", he said.

Moxon saw the appointment as a "great challenge for himself and the Durham players".

He said: "There is obvious potential here. The development set-up is very good and it is my aim to try to bring those players on and hopefully, get some success in the near future.

"That initially would be for us to get back into the first division, in both the four-day and one-day competitions.

"That would be the first aim and then I think once we're there, to stay there and eventually try to challenge to win the first division.

"I'd like to see what I'm playing with to start with. I've seen the players from a distance but I want to see them close at hand and then we'll have a more realistic idea.

"But certainly, on the face of it, I would like to think that we should be challenging for promotion this season."

He picked out youngsters Nicky Peng, Ian Hunter, Michael Gough and Steve Harmison as worthy of special mention in Durham's 2001 bid for promotion.

"My theory is to bring the young players through to play first-class cricket," he said. "I see no point in having a development structure if you are not going to use the young players in first-class cricket. Hopefully, I can help to bring those youngsters through.

"I've only heard on the grapevine about the development squad, but as far as the first-team squad is concerned, I've had some dealings with Nicky Peng when he was at the England Under-15s nets at Lilleshall, so I've seen him at close hand.

"I've heard good reports about Ian Hunter, who's away with Dennis Lillee this week, and obviously, I've worked with Michael Gough quite closely with the England A team, and the same with Steve Harmison.

"I feel the ability is there, and I see it as my job to try to get the best out of them."

It was "weird" to leave Yorkshire, said Moxon, "but that is history now and I am at a forward-looking club with great potential".

"That's basically why I applied for the job, and I think we can go forward together."

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