DURHAM desperately need someone to emulate a bowler they released two years ago when they tackle holders Gloucestershire in the fourth round of the C & G Trophy at Bristol today.
Martin Saggers took five for 22 to rout the one-day kings for 86 at Canterbury on Sunday as they slumped to their fourth defeat in their last five Norwich Union League matches.
Saggers, plucked out of Norfolk obscurity by Durham, continues to go from strength to strength with Kent. He was awarded his county cap last week and celebrated with a career-best 61 not out against Lancashire.
Durham seemed awash with seam bowling talent when they released him, but defections and injuries have now reduced them to the bare bones.
To play either Steve Harmison or Ian Hunter today will be a huge gamble. Both are capable of wicket-taking balls, but the wides they bowl and the runs they concede can make them a liability in a low-scoring match.
Durham know that runs will be at a premium on the slow, low Bristol surface and the difficulty in getting the slower bowlers away could persuade them to include Graeme Bridge.
The left-arm spinner, who will be 21 in September, has not appeared in the first team since making his first-class debut against Surrey at the Oval two years ago.
Like his former England Under-19 colleague Mark Davies, who is also in Durham's squad, Bridge has played in the premier knockout competition for the Durham Board. But they could scarcely have asked for a tougher start at this level than against the team who have won both this event (as the NatWest) and the Benson & Hedges Cup twice in the last two years.
Gloucestershire are going for a B & H treble when they take on Surrey in Saturday's final, and it will be little consolation to Durham skipper Jon Lewis that he will not have to face his namesake today.
With their other opening bowler, Mike Smith, also absent, Gloucestershire fielded a similarly weakened attack when they crushed Yorkshire at Headingley in the B & H semi-final.
Lewis, the England A bowler, was the Gold Award winner with four for 23 when Gloucestershire beat Durham by 66 runs in the B & H quarter-final.
Batsman Tim Hancock missed that match through injury and is again ruled out, this time with a broken hand, but wicketkeeper Jack Russell has since returned to strengthen the team.
Durham coach Martyn Moxon said: "We gave a decent performance there in the Benson & Hedges Cup and have learnt a couple of things from that.
"What Gloucestershire do well is to work as a unit. They didn't give us many four-balls and they gave us nothing in the field.
"We have to match their athleticism in the field and learn to accelerate the innings at the right time."
What Durham need if they are to upset the odds is for two batsmen to put together a big stand. It would be a good time for Martin Love to improve on the top score of 59 he has made in ten one-day innings.
Durham (from): J J B Lewis, N Peng, D R Law, M A Gough, M L Love, P D Collingwood, M P Speight, A Pratt, M Davies, G D Bridge, S J Harmison, N G Hatch, I D Hunter.
Gloucestershire (from): M W Alleyne (capt), K J Barnett, D R Hewson, I J Harvey, M G N Windows, C G Taylor, J N Snape, R C Russell, M A Hardinges, M C J Ball, J M M Averis, R J Cunliffe, M J Cawdro
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