DURHAM will not be risking either Michael Gough or Danny Law in their four-day match starting at Derby tomorrow, preferring to let them prove their fitness in the second team.

The seconds have a three-day match against Yorkshire at the Riverside starting tomorrow, in which Gough should have a chance to bowl his off spin as Graeme Bridge will be needed for first team duty.

Gough suffered a back injury in the practice match against Yorkshire, while Law developed a similar complaint last week.

"They are both fit, but we need to let them prove it in the second team," said skipper Jon Lewis. "We won't be taking any more risks after what happened with Simon Brown."

Brown developed a side strain during pre-season work but came through a one-day second team game against Durham University last Thursday with no reaction.

He bowled 18.4 overs against Middlesex on Friday before the injury flared up again and he will now be out for at least six weeks.

The broken spinning finger suffered by Nicky Phillips will be less of a blow if Bridge recaptures the form he showed when Phillips was injured last season.

He stepped in for the C & G Trophy tie against Gloucestershire at Bristol and won the Gold Award after taking three for 44.

He also took 18 championship wickets at 22.94, which compared favourably with Phillips' 23 wickets at 40.82. Neil Killeen could step in for Brown at Derby, but Ian Hunter and Nicky Hatch are also in contention.

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