DURHAM will surely have to step up their blooding of the next generation of batsmen after Gordon Muchall revealed he is likely to be released at the end of the season.

Paul Collingwood is set to play on past his 40th birthday next May, but this season has shown that at his age it is difficult to sustain a flying start through a tough campaign.

Muchall's 145 against Hampshire could be seen as an attempt to prove his worth after being told he would be wise to seek alternative employment. But it has always been his consistency, not his talent, which has been under question.

He can look forward to Scarborough, where he scored one of his few championship centuries in the north in 2004. But unless he scores some runs in the four remaining home games Durham are unlikely to retain him.

His century this week came on the same day as Adam Hickey celebrated his England Under 19 call-up by making 117 for Durham in a Second X1 Championship match against Lancashire at Crosby.

Keaton Jennings is captaining Durham in that match, having made way for Graham Clark to make his first-class debut at the Ageas Bowl.

Durham have gone for Clark because, at 22, they have already invested a lot in him and it's time to find out if he can step up. Frustration through lack of opportunity may be one reason why he is averaging only 12 in Second X1 Championship cricket this year.

On weight of runs, Hickey and Jack Burnham are more deserving of a place and once Durham accept that they are not going to win the title one or both should be given a chance.

Money remains tight, as it has been since the cost-cutting began three years ago. Will Smith, who was on an ex-captain's salary, was released after the 2013 season, when Muchall and Gareth Breese were retained for one-day purposes.

As it happened, the team's early-season struggles last year saw Muchall drafted in and he was retained after his magnificent 158 not out at Trent Bridge, although he never threatened to repeat it.

At the start of this season Durham preferred Calum MacLeod but after making 44 in the first innings at Somerset he had a top score of 26 in 12 more knocks before Muchall replaced him.

He remains popular with team-mates and fans and is still only 32, but after trying for two years to move forward without him Durham now feel it's time to make a clean break.

If so, they will either have to blood more youngsters or look very seriously at bringing in an experienced batsman. God forbid they go down the Kolpak route unless, by remote chance, there's another Dale Benkenstein available.