Cork faces dismissal at Derbyshire

Dominic Cork looks set to be relieved of the captaincy at Derbyshire, after a miserable season in which they have been rooted to the bottom of the second division of the County Championship.

Derbyshire's chairman, Trevor Bowring, has been canvassing opinion among the county's 14-man committee, and Cork is likely to find few supporters, especially as a comprehensive shake-up of the playing staff is in the pipeline. Cork, who is believed to earn £80,000 a year, is unlikely to want to remain at Derbyshire, if and when he is reduced to the ranks.

While Cork seems to be on the way out, the former Zimbabwe captain David Houghton is almost certainly on his way in. He has been offered the role of director of cricket, having cemented his reputation as a good leader during a spell as coach with Worcestershire in the mid-1990s. He is currently involved with Sky TV, and is keen to remain in England, rather than return to Zimbabwe.