JAMES Brinkley will be out to prove a point to Durham when he plays for Scotland on their National League debut at Riverside tomorrow.

Two years ago Brinkley topped Durham's championship bowling averages with 30 wickets at 20.96, but he couldn't get in the team last season and asked to be released in July.

Although raised in Australia, the 29-year-old seamer was born in Scotland and has played for his native country in the World Cup.

In damp early-season conditions two years ago, he took six for 32 in his first championship appearance for Durham against Gloucestershire at Riverside.

Later in the season he took six for 14 on the same ground against Derbyshire.

All the free tickets for tomorrow's match have gone, with Durham chairman Bill Midgley saying: "It shows just what interest there is to watch one-day cricket at Riverside.

"We are disappointed to have to turn people away, but there are still tickets available for our Bank Holiday Monday clash with Lancashire Lightning and the Test match."

Scotland, who have adopted the suffix of Saltires for this competition, have signed Indian Test batsman Rahul Dravid, but he is not available until June 1.

Their other overseas player is South African all-rounder Jon Kent, who has played in one-day internationals and is now the pro for Stewarts Melville Royal High.

Another South African, Ryan Watson, who bowls off-spin, is the captain of Forfarshire and has been a club pro in Scotland long enough to have residential qualifications. The same applies to Paul Hoffman, a paceman from Queensland.

Other seamers in the squad include Kevin Thomson, who had a trial with Durham several years ago, and former Leicestershire player Ian Stanger.

The captain is Craig Wishart, another seamer who once won a NatWest Trophy Man of the Match award for taking five wickets against Worcestershire.

Scotland have been tapping heavily into their Asian community in recent years and the £40,000 bill for Dravid's services has largely been met by Indian businessmen.

The squad includes 20-year-old off-spinner Majid Haq, while 17-year-old leg-spinner Moneeb Iqbal has been taken on by the Durham Academy. He can still play for Scotland, but is not in tomorrow's squad.

A further link with Durham comes from Kyle Coetzer, who has played for Scotland Under 19s and mysteriously appears in the new Playfair Cricket Annual as a member of the Durham staff. He is, in fact, another of the new academy intake.

Only a month ago Scotland were threatening to abort their introduction to the National League because they faced a £350,000 shortfall on the £800,000 budget.

But all the players other than Dravid and Kent have agreed to play for nothing and 6ft 5in wicketkeeper Colin Smith has been granted 28 days' paid leave by the Post Office.

Coors, the brewers, committed £25,000 last week, but Sportscotland have been a mixed blessing.

They have promised £100,000 for ground improvements at The Grange, in Edinburgh, where all the home matches will be paid, but then withdrew their pledge of £66,000 for the players to redirect it into their Talented Athletes Programme.

The team is coached by Tony Judd, a former Tasmania youth coach.

After winning their opening match in the competition at Taunton last Sunday, Durham are hoping that the weather will allow them the chance of a second victory.