DURHAM have resisted the temptation to pitch Stephen Harmison into their match at Bristol starting today following his heroics in the fifth Test win at The Oval.

If Durham beat Gloucestershire to keep their promotion hopes bubbling, they will almost certainly recall Harmison for the final match against Glamorgan at Riverside next week.

Gloucestershire are 7.25 points ahead of Durham with Glamorgan a further two points in front and Durham should finish ahead of both if they win both games and pick up a decent tally of batting points. Then they will have only Yorkshire to worry about.

With Yorkshire going to Worcester today and finishing off at home to Gloucestershire, while Glamorgan are at home to Northants this week, it's a tough finish all round for the candidates for the third promotion spot.

Durham are likely to run into the same problem as at Northampton last week, with Gloucestershire backing their spinners to outplay the Durham duo.

Although the hosts beat bottom club Derbyshire by only 20 runs on a typically slow Bristol pitch last week, their decision to give left-arm spinner Ian Fisher a rare outing was vindicated when he took five for 73 in the second innings.

He can expect to play again in tandem with off-spinner Martyn Ball, and it will be a tough decision for Durham whether to gamble on their own two spinners again as they did at Northampton.

Although it was their first innings batting which cost them that game, by the time Graeme Bridge and Nicky Phillips had recorded combined first innings figures of five for 340 the match was well and truly gone.

Nicky Peng returns after illness today at the expense of Ashley Thorpe, who despite his 76 in the National League clash at Northampton failed to make the most of his opportunity in the championship match. He must now wait to see if he is among those who will be informed of their release next Monday.

Liam Plunkett also joins the squad to provide an extra option if the pitch is not as slow as expected.

Durham (from): J J B Lewis (capt), G J Muchall, M L Love, P D Collingwood, G J Pratt, N Peng, P Mustard, G D Bridge, Shoaib Akhtar, N C Phillips, N Killeen, A M Davies, L Plunkett.

* Former Durham and Derbyshire batsman Robin Weston has been released by Middlesex after four years on the staff.

* Durham are to hold an end-of-season party in the Riverside Suite on Saturday, September 20 (7pm).

There will be a summer buffet with music provided by the Terry Dean Trio. Tickets costing £10 can be ordered on 0191 387 5151 or at the Club Shop.

Read more about Durham County Cricket Club here.