STEVE Harmison will hope for an improvement on Sunday’s form when he resumes his battle with Michael Vaughan in the four-day match starting at Riverside today.

As Durham begin their defence of the LV County Championship both players need to impress the England selectors and a repeat of their battle at Headingley last season is on the cards.

Vaughan fell to Callum Thorp for a duck in the first innings in that match, but took on Harmison in an epic duel in the second. He made 72 before the paceman bowled him and Durham went on to complete a double against the Tykes.

Harmison appeared a little rusty in Sunday’s Friends Provident Trophy defeat, while Vaughan looked in good form before being bowled by Gareth Breese for 43.

As the man in possession after his century in the titleclinching match at Canterbury, Breese can expect to keep his place, probably at the expense of Gordon Muchall.

Durham are keen to give Muchall every chance to re-establish himself and have named him in the squad. In three innings this season he has always been unlucky enough to receive a ball early on which has done just enough to find the edge.

He has been preferred in the 12 to Ben Harmison, who opened the innings at the end of last season and could do so again if Mark Stoneman fails to nail down the slot.

The one thing which might count against Breese is that he has never made a big score at Riverside, whereas Muchall made an early-season century there two years ago after his double hundred at Canterbury.

Going into his first championship match as captain, Will Smith is keen to seize the opportunity to prove Sunday’s sub-standard performance was a temporary blip.

“With this match coming around so soon, playing against the same side gives us a chance to put things right quickly,” he said. “We need to concentrate on what we did right at Lord’s and against Durham University.

“We were brilliant at last year at adapting to different formats, and now we have to adapt quickly to the four-day game. Being champions brings added pressure, but it’s a pressure you want to have.

Everyone wants to carry on the success and make sure we really are the team to beat this year.”

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, LE Plunkett, S J Harmison, G Onions, C D Thorp.

■ Kyle Coetzer will rejoin the Durham squad this week after a disappointing World Cup qualifying campaign with Scotland in South Africa.

The Scots failed to make it into the 2011 tournament, which is likely to cost them around £100,000 in funding.

But they did at least retain their one-day international status by winning their final game against the United Arab Republics.

After making 91 in the defeat by Afghanistan, Coetzer was run out for 35 against the UAR while ex-Yorkshire and Durham player Gavin Hamilton made 127 as the Scots won by 122 runs.