DURHAM have had to make a host of changes for their final match in the County Championship Shield against Cumbria at Aspatria today. With both teams having lost both their matches to date, the losers will be relegated to the plate competition.

The only players who will have started all three games for Durham are prop Dave Sinclair and hooker Andrew Dixon and they have a new captain in former Under-20s skipper Tom Basey, the Durham University scrum half.

Several players are taking part in a sevens tournament in Amsterdam, including all the Mowden Park contingent other than Sinclair.

Durham: D Thomas (West Hartlepool), I Coulson (Darlington), D Tate (Gateshead), R McDermott, O Brennand (Durham Univ), A Turner (Horden), T Basey (Durham Univ, capt), M Cammiss (Durham City), A Dixon (West Hartlepool TDSOB), D Sinclair (Mowden Park), C Wearmouth (Durham City), M Power (Hartlepool Rovers), S Palmer (Darlington), J Boatman, D Boatman (West Hartlepool).

Former Mowden Park player Mark Bedworth, who has been in prolific form for Yorkshire, misses the Roses match at Otley. His Wharfedale colleague, Andrew Baggett, the ex-Middlesbrough player, will be at fly half.

Barnard Castle School and Newcastle Academy product Ross Batty, who played a few games for Mowden Park this season, has been named in the Wairarapa Bush squad for New Zealand's National Provincial Championship.

Newcastle want to convert the former England Schools prop into a hooker and after a stint at the International Rugby Academy for front-row players in January, he stayed on to spend the New Zealand season with Gladstone RFC.

Wasps have released loose-forward Mark Lock, prop Jon Dawson and centre Tim Foster.

Lock made 50 starts for Wasps over eight years but with the likes of Joe Worsley, John Hart and Lawrence Dallaglio at the club, he found regular first-team opportunities limited.

Dawson only signed last summer from Harlequins but his departure for South Africa follows the arrival at Wasps of England international Phil Vickery.

Injuries restricted Foster to just a handful of A team appearances since he signed in 2004.