CHRIS Cairns will be celebrating a homecoming of sorts when he steps out at Riverside this afternoon.

He may not be the returning hero in the mould of a Steve Harmison or Paul Collingwood, but there'll always be a little bit of County Durham in the New Zealand all-rounder.

His home town Picton is a few thousands miles from Chester-le-Street, but just 20 miles down the road is his spirirtual English home of Bishop Auckland.

His father Lance, a New Zealand cricket legend, was Bishops professional in the 1980s, and the young Cairns spent time at St Anne's junior school in the town.

His affection remains strong for the locals, so much so that a request for one or two tickets has been gratefully received by the affable Kiwi.

He said: "It will be a little strange with some familiar faces watching. I've been asked for around 12 tickets and that's not typical when your touring.

"I came back last year with Notts and visited a few people then - the Bishop Auckland people will always be close to my heart."

He may allow himself a quick wave to friends come 2pm, but once the action begins in the crucial day-nighter, the experienced 34-year-old will be as competitive as anyone on the pitch.

And Cairns believes one-day inexperience in the England ranks can give the Kiwis an edge over their opponents.

Michael Vaughan's side capitulated against the West Indies on Sunday at Trent Bridge to 147 all out and a seven-wicket defeat - a fact not lost on the all-rounder.

"The score on Sunday just confirms how much Trescothick and Vaughan are key to the England batting line-up," said Cairns, who retired from Test cricket after the 3-0 whitewash by England.

"They were both dismissed very cheaply, and hence the low score. If you remove both of those it shows a little bit of a soft underbelly, guys with not a lot of experience, so it is a key thing to get those wickets at the top."

The start of the innings is vital - especially in England - and Vaughan's record as England skipper falls into two camps - ten wins when England have batted second and seven defeats when England have batted first.

Cairns said: "It can be very difficult here in England.

"When you have had some rain and the wicket is a little damp it can be a case of just needing to get through those early overs.

"With the weather conditions we have been having in the last few weeks, it is probably best to be a little bit cautious early on and then you can cash in later if you have a good platform."

Despite his retirement from the Test arena Cairns has no plans to call time on his one-day career and has even set his sights on the World Cup in 2007.

Hardly surprising after the destructive hitter recently overhauled Sir Viv Richards Test record of 84 sixes and proved he's still capable of turning a game with a cameo innings.

But there's no regrets about the Test retirement.

"I believe I made the right decision on the Test front but I still enjoy the one-day game," he said.

"The World Cup in 2007? Why not? It obviously all depends on form and fitness, but if I can keep both then sure it's a target.

"I have been working on my one-day bowling, and at the moment it is going well."

A small fan club in Bishop Auckland would be keen to see Cairns play first-class cricket at Riverside and he has, in the past, expressed a firm interest in playing for Durham.

But that may have to wait a while after his exertions this summer. He said: "Touring is tough especially when you're away from the family for two and a half months at a time. What's may plans for next year? I haven't got any apart from putting my feet up."