DURHAM are hoping the LV County Championship pennant will appear at Lord’s today so they can fly it for the first time during the four-day match against the MCC.

The pennant’s whereabouts have been a mystery, the suspicion being that it is still in the possession of 2007 champions Sussex. But it is hoped that Lord’s officials have been able to track it down.

Mark Davies will miss the game because of an ankle injury, robbing him of the chance to compete with teammates Graham Onions and Liam Plunkett for the eye of the England selectors.

Davies returned a few days early from the England Lions’ tour to New Zealand and although he went with Durham to South Africa he didn’t bowl.

It is hoped he will be fit for the opening championship game against Yorkshire at Riverside, starting on April 22.

A new early season threat to Davies has emerged in the shape of Mitch Claydon, who is in the squad for Lord’s and coach Geoff Cook said: “He has come back from Australia bowling really well.

“We have to decide whether to go into the match without an out-and-out fourth seamer, in which case Mitch will play, or give the job to Ben Harmison.

The No 4 batting place is also up for grabs.

“There seems to be a similar situation in the England team, with one batting and one seam bowling place available, so this match is an opportunity for people to put themselves in the shop window.

“It’s great for us to be involved and we expect some tough cricket, which is good preparation for the season.”

With Callum Thorp certain to play after his excellent season last year, Onions and Plunkett need to push their claims from the start as neither could get into the Durham team which clinched the title at Canterbury last September.

“Onions bowled really well in South Africa,” said Cook.

“Plunkett is still searching for a bit of consistency, but we know he can bowl spells where he takes two or three quick wickets.

“The new rules surrounding the powerplays in one-day cricket will bring a different dimension to our thinking in terms of the experience and abilities of the bowlers who have to perform in those periods.”

With Ian Blackwell, the former England all-rounder signed from Somerset, certain to make his first-class debut for Durham, there is a middle order choice to be made between Gordon Muchall and Gareth Breese.

The Jamaican finished last season with a century at Canterbury, where Muchall scored a double hundred three years ago. There are still hopes that he can rekindle that sort of form after spending last season captaining the second team.

Mark Stoneman was left out at the end of last season, but at 21 he will be given every opportunity to develop and looks set to resume his opening partnership with Michael Di Venuto.

Paul Collingwood was not at the pre-season media day on Tuesday, and his imminent departure for the Indian Premier League means his availability for Durham this season is likely to be extremely limited.

Durham (from): W R Smith (capt), M J Di Venuto, M D Stoneman, D M Benkenstein, G J Muchall, G R Breese, I D Blackwell, P Mustard, L E Plunkett, M E Claydon, C D Thorp, G Onions, B W Harmison.