THE Domnick Hunter Durham County team embark on the Liberty Trophy trail next Saturday, hoping to emulate the summertime success of their outdoor brethren by winning the National Inter County competition for a seventh time.

The Thornaby Indoor Club will host the local derby between Durham and Northumberland, with a 2pm start, and the prize for victory will be a tie against the winners of the East Anglian clash between Norfolk and Suffolk, another match which is likely to be fiercely contested.

Norfolk, who have figured in five finals, defeated Leicestershire last week in the preliminary round by just two shots and, like Durham, have a number of internationals, past and present, in their ranks.

l The Canada Life Denny Cup, the All-England four rink Inter Club competition starts in earnest today, with a number of the region's clubs breaking new ground as a result of the reorganisation of the districts.

The competition is played to a two home and two away match format, with the overall aggregate score deciding the winners, with the starting time normally 10am.

Each match is of 21 ends per rink and if at the end of the game the aggregate scores are level, one four, nominated before the game by the club drawn first, plays an extra end.

The draw for the clubs in the North-East area is: Dalston v Hartlepool (12 noon start); Durham v Cumbria; Hebburn Community v Stanley; Newcastle Eldon Square v Spennymoor; Tynedale v South Shields; Concordia v Houghton; The Parks (North Shields) v Gateshead; Ferryhill v Sunderland; Huddersfield v Darlington; Great Aycliffe v Old Mill Leisure (Chorley, Lancs); Metrodome (Barnsley) v Shildon; Saltburn v Blackburn; Thornaby v Selby; Scarborough v Redcar.

The losers of first round matches are entitled to contest the Denny Plate, a new competition started last year when the South Shields club hosted the final, won by Clevedon, home club of David Bryant.

l The Ladies National Inter Club competition for the Yetton Trophy, also played to a home and away format, sees Thornaby take on Redcar in the preliminary round next Thursday, with the winner going through to the first round on November 9.

l Hartlepool and Cumbria clash tomorrow in the National Under-25 Double Rinks, one rink at home and one away, with a noon start.

The Hartlepool team is: Home: James Rudge, Andrew Whittett, Marc Squirrel, Colin Dixon. Away: Mark Dolman, Geoff Pearson, Carl Amerigo, Scott Moreland