KEATON JENNINGS has been appointed as Durham’s captain for this season’s Royal London One-Day Cup, a role he filled on a temporary basis last season.

The England opener will skipper Durham throughout the 50-over competition, which begins with a home game against Derbyshire at the end of April.

Jennings stood in for Paul Collingwood as Durham’s one-day captain last season, but has now been confirmed in the role on a permanent basis.

Collingwood will continue to skipper Durham in the four-day format of the County Championship, with all-rounder Paul Coughlin having been named as Jennings’ vice-captain for one-day games.

“It’s one of those dreams as a young boy, you want to lead your side, so it’s an honour to lead Durham this year,” said Jennings, who was named Durham’s Player of the Year last season. “I’m definitely looking forward to it.

“The two signings we have made – Lathers (Tom Latham) and Cooky (Stephen Cook) – are brilliant for the squad and the guys as well.

“The couple of games I did last year were really good fun, and it was a privilege and honour to do it. There is a real sense of positivity around at the minute. Hopefully, we can push forward and see how far we can go.”

While Jennings is expected to be part of the England Test team this summer, he does not feature in the national side’s one-day plans and should therefore be available for the whole of Durham’s Royal London One-Day Cup campaign.

He was recently named as the captain of the North side for the inaugural North v South series, which will be staged as a pre-season warm-up in the UAE in March.

“Keaton has developed immensely over the last 12 months, not only as a player but also a leader in the dressing room, and he has commanded the respect of the dressing room,” said Durham head coach Jon Lewis. “This new role reflects his standing in the side, and we are confident he can lead us forward in the 50-over competition.

“He was highly impressive when he stepped in to the role last season, and has already started to build up experience of handling the responsibilities that come with being a captain.

“Even with possible England commitments, we are likely to see Keaton for the entirety of the tournament, and we feel this is another important step forward in his career.”