DURHAM'S C & G Trophy hero Graeme Bridge will play his second first-class match today, two years after the first.

Nicky Phillips is making a slow recovery from his hand injury and will be unfit to face his former county Sussex at the Riverside, giving 20-year-old Bridge his chance.

The left-arm spinner had a tough baptism on his debut at the Oval, taking one for 110 in 44 overs and did not appear for the first team last season. But he won the Man of the Match award for his three for 44 when he stepped in for the C & G fourth round tie against holders Gloucestershire at Bristol last week.

Coach Martyn Moxon said: "Bowling into that gale was very difficult and the figures he produced were magnificent. He looks like getting his chance against Sussex and it will be interesting to see how he performs in a four-day game."

Bridge will be the first home-grown specialist spinner to play a first-class match for Durham at the Riverside. All-rounder Steve Chapman played in one home match two years ago, but did not bowl.

Although they have passed the halfway stage in their season, it will be the first time Durham have faced Sussex. They also play them in the Norwich Union League on Sunday and tackle them again over five days at Hove in late August.

The only change Durham are likely to make from the team which played at Bristol is Nicky Hatch for Mark Davies.

Simon Brown is expected to be fit to return next week, but mystery still surrounds Neil Killeen. A bone scan on his troublesome ankle has revealed nothing, so he is to see another specialist for advice on the best course of action.

In the continued absence of their own left-arm swing bowler, Brown, Durham will be hoping there is not much movement available for Jason Lewry. He proved the match-winner when Sussex visited the Riverside two years ago, bowling Brown to claim his ninth wicket of the match and earn an eight-run win.

Lewry has also been in top form this season, claiming career-best match figures of 13 for 79 as Sussex won their last match by an innings and 13 runs against Hampshire. It was their fourth win in five matches and took them into second place behind Middlesex.

Last season they were top of the second division with six weeks left but didn't win another game after Michael Bevan returned to Australia. He has been replaced by Murray Goodwin, Western Australia's exiled Zimbabwean, who has already scored 939 first-class runs, while fellow opener Richard Montgomerie has 908.

Off-spinner Mark Davis, an English-qualified South African, has also made an impact in what looks a well-balanced team with left-arm spinner Umer Rashid good enough to bat at No 6.

Bridge was to have played for the Durham Board X1 in their ECB 38-County Cup quarter-final against Lincolnshire at Darlington tomorrow (11am).

But his absence means that any spin bowling will have to be done by skipper Quentin Hughes, who was primarily an off-spinner when he played in Durham's Minor Counties team ten years ago at the age of 16.

Durham: J J B Lewis (capt), M A Gough, M L Love, P D Collingwood, N Peng, M P Speight, D R Law, A Pratt, G D Bridge, S J Harmison, N G Hatch.

Durham Board: Q Hughes (capt), A Worthy (Chester-le-Street), A Day (Hetton Lyons), S Humble (Blaydon), D Blenkiron (Sunderland), M Davies, G Pratt, G Muchall, P Mustard, C Mann, I Pattison (all Durham staff or academy).