'Devastated' Onions set to miss rest of season

Graham Onions said he is "devastated" after learning he will probably miss the remainder of the season due to an abdominal injury.

Onions suffered the setback during the Royal London Cup match against Nottinghamshire and his recovery timeframe has been put at around six weeks which uses up much of the rest of the summer.

Onions said: "I was obviously devastated when I received the results of the scan as the next six weeks of the season are hugely important for the team"

"Although I don't think I can play for the rest of the season, I'll be doing everything I can to try to get fit and help the lads out during those final few games."

He later tweeted: "A season to forget personally but still 6 huge weeks for the Durham lads to win some silverware. It's going to be a long winter."

It has been a difficult season for Onions who has also had to battle a back injury which has restricted him to five Championship matches and a modest haul of 12 wickets at 42.00. Earlier in the year he was part of the England Lions tour of Sri Lanka but any hopes he had of adding to his nine Test caps appear to have disappeared.

Meanwhile, Durham have announced that Gareth Breese, the 38-year-old former West Indies allrounder, will leave after 11 years at the county.

John Lewis, the head coach, said: "Gareth has turned himself into a bit of a legend at the club. He's been an outstanding servant, a really good team man and a positive guy to have in the dressing room all the time. It's always been a big part of Gareth that he puts others before himself and that's what has made him so popular."