DURHAM will be desperate for revenge in the first of back-to-back Twenty20 matches against northern group leaders Nottinghamshire at Chester-le-Street this evening.
An 11-run defeat in the equivalent match last year derailed Durham's campaign just when they had gained some momentum by twice posting totals of more than 200.
The Outlaws' 186 for four looked reachable until Dale Benkenstein was out for 40, accepting Alex Hales' word that he had not stepped over the boundary in claiming a catch.
Nottinghamshire are clear leaders with four wins out of five, but although Durham have won only one they are only two points behind second-placed Lancashire.
With the top four qualifying for the quarter-finals there is still much to play for with 11 group games left, but defeats tonight and at Trent Bridge on Thursday would be damaging for Durham's morale.
They have made one change to the squad, with Mark Stoneman replacing Will Smith, who is playing for the second team in a three-day match at Milton Keynes starting today.
Although he has yet to play, Scott Borthwick remains with the squad but coach Geoff Cook said the team was likely to be unchanged.
With Ian Blackwell bowling only two overs in the last three games, Durham continue to buck the trend of maximising the use of spinners.
In the current Friends Life t20 bowling averages five of the top ten are spinners, with the leading wicket-takers being Essex left-armer Tim Phillips and Yorkshire's Adil Rashid. The others to feature are Gary Keedy, Monty Panesar and Northants' Johan Botha.
Cook said: "If we play on a pitch which favours spinners we will re-consider, but our seamers did the job at Northampton and they did well at Derby until the last four overs.
"Paul Collingwood didn't bowl at Derby because of a sore hamstring, and Dale hasn't bowled because he's just turned 37 and he has had a big workload this season. He's always had a selfless attitude in that respect - he prefers to get some experience into others."
Mark Davies is playing for the seconds this week as he continues his comeback from injury, while Steve Harmison practised yesterday and will be fit for the championship match at home to Yorkshire, starting on Saturday.
Despite the fact that Durham are at Grace Road the previous evening, they have decided against requesting a delayed start.
"One hour doesn't make much difference," said Cook. "We'll get back from Leicester about midnight. It's not great, but that's what we are given.
"Counties like to maximise their Twenty20 crowds by playing on Friday nights, but it shouldn't be beyond the wit of man to avoid things like this."
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