Will Smith helped retained the title in his first season as Durham's captain

Durham captain Will Smith believes the hunger remains within his squad to win the County Championship again despite two titles in the last two seasons.

Smith and his team-mates begin their defence at home to Essex on 16 April next year seeking a third year of domestic dominance in Division One.

"We're not going to be complacent about it," Smith told BBC Newcastle.

"Such is the nature of the coaches and players at the club we'll be looking to improve and I'm sure we will."

There are still five months to go until the 2010 season is scheduled to get underway.

Smith, enjoying a break from the cricket field after a hectic 2009, admits that the arrival of the fixtures is less of an 'event' than it is in other sports such as football or rugby.

"I don't tend to look at particular games," he said. "I just have a quick scan over them and know when the first week of April comes around I'll be ready for the hard grind again.

"People will notice when the Twenty20 starts so they can plan ahead on how to practise those different types of the game."

Former Durham University student Smith moved to the Riverside from Nottinghamshire in 2006, since when he has helped win the 2007 Friends Provident Trophy, as well as those successive County Championship titles.

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