DURHAM left yesterday for two Twenty20 matches in the Midlands with an unchanged squad, knowing that Mark Stoneman is knocking on the door for inclusion.

After showing excellent pre-season form, Stoneman made an impressive half-century in his first championship innings of the season at the Rose Bowl, only to break a hand in fielding practice.

Although he has yet to get back into the first team, he has picked up where he left off, scoring a century for Blaydon and making 76 not out in a second team T20 victory against Yorkshire this week.

There were nine balls left when he clinched the eight-wicket win and his score was only four short of Durham's best in this format, scored by New Zealander Ross Taylor last year.

The only other county not to have registered a century since the competition began in 2003 is Warwickshire, while Durham's total of 28 half-centuries is the lowest of all the counties.

They are unlikely to find a fast, run-laden track at Northampton this evening, however, as the hosts beat Warwickshire on Sunday on an Edgbaston pitch which favoured the slower bowlers.

South African off-spinner Johan Botha recorded his best Twenty20 figures of four for 16 as the hosts were dismissed for 110 to lose by 40 runs.

Northants were indebted to Jack Brooks and David Willey for a record-equalling ninth-wicket partnership in the domestic Twenty20 competition.

They came together at 91 for eight and their 59-run stand matched the effort of Lancashire's Glen Chapple and Peter Martin at Leicester in 2003.

Northants have already won a CB 40 League match at Emirates Durham this season, when Alex Wakeley made an unbeaten 78 to overhaul a total of 172 with nine balls to spare.

They also comfortably did the double over Durham in the T20 last season, when Sri Lankan all-rounder Chaminda Vaas scored 73 and took three for 23 at Northampton.

Another all-rounder who rarely fails to contribute is the South African Andrew Hall.

Durham will take the same squad to Derby tomorrow for a floodlit match (7pm).

Durham (from): D M Benkenstein (capt), P Mustard, G J Muchall, I D Blackwell, P D Collingwood, D A Miller, G R Breese, L E Plunkett, M E Claydon, C Rushworth, G Onions, S G Borthwick, W R Smith.