DURHAM could have Stephen Harmison in their line-up for today's National League match against Nottinghamshire at Riverside (1pm).

With an 11-day gap between Test matches, and no guarantee that he will be selected for Trent Bridge, the selectors have hinted that they will make Harmison available.

"If they do it would be silly not to take the opportunity to play him," said skipper Jon Lewis, who also hopes to have Neil Killeen available after he was ruled out by a back spasm on Sunday.

Shoaib Akhtar will also play, despite the niggles which forced him to retire from the field twice during Sunday's defeat by Somerset.

The umpires were not happy about his comings and goings and Lewis admitted: "I had some sympathy for them.

"It doesn't look good when he goes off straight after bowling at the speed of light, but he was not 100 per cent from about his third over on Sunday.

"The way he bowls he will always have some aches or pains. By the time he walked off after finishing his nine overs the game was gone, so Somerset weren't complaining. If it had been a bit tighter it might have been different."

Lewis admitted he is unsure what to do about the batting order as Durham have topped 200 only against Scotland in Edinburgh in this competition this season.

In their last five games they have not had an opening stand of more than ten and Lewis said: "It's frustrating because the middle order is coming right in four-day cricket.

"Whoever we try, Nicky Peng has not had much support at the top of the one-day order. I'm not against the idea of opening myself in the long run, but I'm not thinking of trying it at the moment."

Durham are now only two points off the bottom, but Nottinghamshire are one of the three teams they have beaten, having won by seven runs at Trent Bridge two days after beating them at home in the Twenty20 Cup.

Nottinghamshire have been strengthened since then, however, by the return after injury of Chris Cairns, Darren Bicknell and former Northants player Russell Warren.

Durham (from): J J B Lewis (capt), N Peng, V J Wells, M L Love, G J Muchall, G J Pratt, P Mustard, G D Bridge, Shoaib Akhtar, N Killeen, S J Harmison, A M Davies, N G Hatch.

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