MARK Davies returns to serious action today in Durham seconds' first championship match of the season against Yorkshire at Stamford Bridge.

The 22-year-old seamer was ordered to rest for two weeks after suffering a recurrence of his collapsed lung during the warm-up for a pre-season match at Old Trafford.

After playing in a club game for Tynemouth at the weekend, Davies is now considered ready for the four-day game.

But there is further frustration for Nicky Hatch, who went with the first team to Taunton for five days without getting a game and now has a foot injury.

Neil Killeen is in the second team, indicating that the firsts are to play an extra batsman in their match against Worcestershire starting at Stockton tomorrow.

There is no place for off-spinning all-rounder Gary Scott, who has recovered from injury but is felt to need more Academy games before playing any three or four-day cricket.

Second team coach Alan Walker said: "It has been a long wait for a proper game. We played some one-dayers against the university, but they had a mixed side out and we need to get into proper cricket."

Durham seconds: J Lowe, D Barnes, I Pattison, P Mustard, A Roberts, I Hunter, G Bridge, M Davies, N Killeen, G Onions, A Walker.

* Gavin Hamilton's future will come under the microscope in Yorkshire seconds' game against Durham.

It will be a tough examination for the 28-year-old all-rounder, who bowled ten wides in 1.4 overs for Yorkshire seconds in a one-day friendly with Lancashire at Elland last week before taking himself off.

On Saturday, he missed the first hour of Bradford League club East Bierley's match with Hanging Heaton because he was on official Professional Cricketers' Association business at the NatWest Road Show on Channel 4. It was two hours into the game before he could bowl and he sent down a couple of expensive overs before being taken off.

Hamilton was axed from Yorkshire's first team early last season when he lost confidence in his bowling and for the remainder of the summer he played solely as a batsman.

Since then he has received psychological help and during the winter his confidence was restored when he went to South Africa.

Hamilton was coached out there by former Yorkshire opening batsman Richard Lumb, father of county batsman, Michael.

Yorkshire have not wanted to hurry Hamilton back into full scale action but now feel that the time is right to see how he stands up to bowling in a four-day match.

Director of cricket, Geoff Cope, has admitted that the balance of Yorkshire's side will be much stronger if Hamilton is able to play regularly again.

"He is such a keen competitor who can perk up the side and he can win a game with either bat or ball," he said.

Hamilton said: "It was disappointing to lose my line at Elland but I always expected there would be occasions when I did not get it quite right."

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