STEVE Harmison still has nine days to prepare for the Friends Provident Trophy final at Lord's and while his figures yesterday appear uneconomical, there were also encouraging signs.

Just over three weeks after his hernia operation, he waited until after tea to bowl at Sri Lanka A's No 8 batsman, who was prepared to cut and carve and steer him over the slips as runs flowed.

There was also a wide approaching Melbourne proportions in Harmison's second over, but in the third he had visiting captain Thilan Samaraweera, who has played in 39 Tests, caught at slip for 79.

For someone who was so recently under the knife, Durham's acting captain extracted surprising life from the placid pitch, even if the ball did not zip through at quite its usual velocity.

His decision to hold himself back before bowling four overs after tea was doubtless taken in consultation with the England medical staff. But he will bowl more and if he maintains his current rate of progress his dream of playing in Durham's first Lord's final should be realised.

Only two more of the line-up for this three-day match are likely to be there, and there will be four batsmen pushing their claims for the No 6 spot today when Durham reply to 379.

Durham chose their best public address announcer, if not their best team, for the visit of the Sri Lankans.

It is no easy task to pronounce names like Welagedara, who goes by the fifth of his six christian names, Chanaka, while there were others with four or five initials.

When S J Harmison first appeared on the Durham scene he would not have been expected to lead out a Durham side before Michael Gough had the honour. Gough was, in fact, marginally ahead yesterday in his role as an umpire.

With Harmison at mid-off, the pair engaged in some early conversation before the captain turned his attention towards settling the nerves of debut boy Luke Evans.

The 6ft 7in seamer from Sunderland looked the part in his run-up and delivery, and he also swung the ball away. But in his desire to do so he tended to over-pitch, rather than using his height to make the almost Lilliputian visitors hop around.

He conceded 41 runs in his opening five-over spell, but settled down once he had picked up a wicket in the afternoon, when vice-captain Malinda Warnapura drove to mid-on.

There was also a maiden first-class wicket for all-rounder Will Gidman, who was close to emulating Paul Collingwood by striking with his first ball.

Replacing Evans at 59 for one after 11 overs, the medium-pacer immediately had a good shout for lbw turned down with Dilruwan Perera on 31.

An off-spinning all-rounder, Perera looked a high-quality player as he drove Evans wide of mid-off for four then picked up the next ball behind square leg for six.

Evans got the next ball in just the right place and beat Perera on 15, but the first three balls of his next over disappeared for leg-side fours.

After almost being run out off the first ball of the match, Perera reached 50 off 49 balls. But he added only seven before Gidman moved one away to have him very well caught, diving to his right, by wicketkeeper Lee Goddard.

There were three wickets each for Graham Onions and Gareth Breese, with two of the paceman's coming from catches in the fashionable position of leg gully.

The other was also off an attempted pull, with left-hander Kaushal Lokuarachchi departing reluctantly after Gough gave him out caught behind.

Dhammika Prasad, the No 8 who began by cutting and carving Harmison, reached 50 off only 40 balls and went on to make 89 before he was last out, skying Evans' first delivery with the new ball to deep mid-wicket.

Durham had six overs to bat, in which Mark Stoneman and Will Smith reached 18 without loss.