Coaching future is predicted for Benkenstein

Nov 14 2009 by Luke Edwards, The Journal

DURHAM captain Will Smith has tipped Dale Benkenstein to become a major force behind the scenes at the Riverside once he has finally retired as a player.

Smith had the difficult task of filling Benkenstein’s shoes as skipper last season and successfully guided Durham to their second successive County Championship title with the South African returning to the ranks as a middle order batsman.

The change benefited everyone, with Smith gaining valuable leadership experience while Benkenstein (pictured right) scored more than 1,000 runs in the Championship and remained a key player in a new look one day team.

The 35-year-old has moved his family permanently to the North East this year and Smith feels his affection for the club and the area make him an obvious choice to move on to the coaching staff. He said: “It was only when I was asked to do it last season that I realised what an incredible job Dale has done over the last few years. He has not only been the team’s captain, he was also our most reliable batsman and I can only really fully appreciate that now.

“I don’t think he has any concrete plans made at the moment, but the fact he has moved here shows his affection for the region and he has a special affinity for the club as well.

“This is such a progressive club that I’m sure there will be long term plans in place and Dale would be an obvious choice to move on to the coaching staff when he stops playing. He has so much knowledge and experience, and he obviously cares about the club so we should harness that moving forward. However, that isn’t going to happen at the moment. He’s got at least another couple of years left in him as player and he will once again be crucial to our plans next season.”

Smith was happy with his first year as captain, although he admits he was lucky to take over a team with so many quality players. He said: “I’ve got a great bunch of guys here. There are no rivalries behind the scenes and no divisions. One of the best things about playing for Durham is we have so many great characters in the dressing room.

“They are individuals who set their standards high and want to do the best they can on a personal level, but that never gets in the way of the team.”

Although Durham have become double county champions, Smith feels this is only the start of things at the Riverside as he targets significant improvements in one day competitions next season. He said: “The four day stuff looks after itself because of the quality we have and the type of players we have. You just go out there and do the same things we’ve been doing for the last couple of years.

“But we went with a young, inexperienced side in the Pro40 League and that is a really exciting project for me. We worked out pretty quickly that we had fallen behind a bit in limited overs and changed the make up of the side to reflect that. There is a lot of room for improvement, but it is something I’m personally really looking forward to.”

Smith, who admits his form with the bat did suffer because of the distractions which come with the captaincy, has also paid a special tribute to his girlfriend Katherine who has supported him while also coping with the loss of her father.

He said: “Katherine has been fantastic. It was terrible for her when her father became seriously ill, but she managed to offer me so much support. The way she kept going through everything kept me going as well.”