DURHAM return to four-day action at home to Derbyshire today boosted by the news that the Australian Board have given permission for paceman Shaun Tait to join them for six weeks.

The 21-year-old South Australian, who is said to be genuinely quick, is expected to arrive around August 13. The likelihood is he will miss the home match against Somerset starting that day, but will then be available for the last four championship games. He will also play in two totesport League matches.

Tait was in the Australian squad for the recent two-Test series against Sri Lanka, but with Glenn McGrath fit again, backed by Jason Gillespie and Michael Kasprowicz, he didn't get a game.

He took 33 first-class wickets in Australia last season and in January became the first bowler to take eight wickets in a domestic limited overs match at Adelaide. At the end of the season he was named the Bradman Young Cricketer of the Year.

Tait will take over from Andy Blignaut, who makes his championship debut today at the expense of Neil Killeen, while Paul Collingwood's availability means there is no place for Nicky Peng.

Durham have played only two days' championship cricket since June 10, with two days at Cardiff being washed out after Kyle Coetzer made 67 on his debut. He is retained in the side.

Peng subsequently suffered a shoulder injury in a totesport match at Taunton but is now fully fit and coach Martyn Moxon said: "It was a difficult decision to leave him out.

"He hasn't yet fulfilled his potential, but he's still very young and sometimes we can be a bit impatient. He has to try to nail down his way of playing so he knows how he's going to go about constructing an innings.

"He's not quite there yet but we are working towards it and I'm sure he's got a big future."

Collingwood was with the England squad at Lord's yesterday, despite the fact that Kent's Robert Key has been preferred for the first Test against the West Indies.

"As far as we know it was nothing to do with his knee injury - he just wasn't selected," said Moxon. "The knee might restrict him from diving around, but there shouldn't be a problem as long as he doesn't get hit on it.

"If he doesn't get into the Test series we should have him for the next four championship games. No matter how he performs, just having him around has tremendous value in itself for us. He brings an air of confidence to the team and his input is invaluable. It has been strange using red balls again in practice, but it will be good to get back to championship cricket. We want to win as many of the seven games we have left as possible and finish in a respectable position."

Liam Plunkett is back in the squad for the first time since Durham played Derbyshire in the third match of the season, when two days were lost to rain at Derby at the end of April.

Plunkett and Graham Onions formed a youthful opening attack in that match and they could share the new ball again, unless Durham decide the pitch will take spin. In that case one of the young pacemen will stand down and Graeme Bridge will play.

Durham (from): J J B Lewis (capt), G R Breese, G J Muchall, P D Collingwood, M J North, K Coetzer, A Pratt, A M Blignaut, L E Plunkett, M Davies, G Onions, G D Bridge.