DURHAM County's new season gets underway next Saturday when Northumberland provide the opposition in all three Northern Counties competitions.

In the A team event for the Muras Trophy as familiar face will be missing from the Durham - last season's team captain Cliff Simpson, of Hartlepool, has retired from the county scene to become the association's publicity officer.

Durham, whose last success in the Muras was in 1995, travel to Alnwick.

Team: B Poulter, D Livingstone, B Jones, A Theobold (skip); G Peacock, S Northam, A Jobling, W Condron (s); P Thompson, K Avery, C Jefferson, D Bolt (s); J Pearce, R Robinson, J Wells, A Kirtland (s); S Moreland, D Kilner, R McKie, J Leeman (s); B Arkley, P Baker, S Johnston, C Palmer (s). Reserves: B Storr, S Packham, D Fenwick.

The B teams clash at Stockton in the Alsop Trophy.

Durham: A Fazackerly, A Jones, P Smithson, A Taylor (s); G Cockerill, J Atkinson, N Buckley, G Robson (s); A Mole, C Higgins, G Skipp, S Land (s); P Coulson, C Duffy, C Moore, T Jopling (s), D Sykes, R Smithson, G Risebury, V Noble (s); J Hills, Peter Thompson, T O'Hara, S Abson (s). Reserves: J Rogan, B Price, G Dougherty.

The Armstrong Trophy, contested by the C teams, has been won by Durham eight times in the last decade. The opener will be played at Seahouses.

Durham squad: B Hodgson, C Northam, J Pearson, A Parnell (s); K Chicken, P Ward, M Tompkins, J Embleton (s); P Northam, J Quickmire, B Playfor, K Stamp (s); A Hart, C Saveille, D Rutter, H Dougherty (s); J Spowart, C Thompson, G Thompson, S Jones (s); M Smith, S Rodger, N Evands, D Oram(s). Reserves: J Patterson, J Hutchins, R Sowerby, D Lamond, T Serginson.

* The individual events in District Six, with a visit to the National Finals at Worthing in August as the prize, are now underway, with the first results through.

Two Wood Singles: M Adams bt T Davidson; R Cosgrave bt D Kilner; V Noble bt P Gorton.

Four Bowl Singles: V Noble 21, D Fenwick 17; A ward 20, C Higgins 21; B Playfor w.o.

Junior Singles: C Higgins 21, N Bell 4.

Pairs: Robb/Ainger 20, Noble/Muncaster 21 (extra end); Hull/Elwin 24, Edwards/Leck 4; Risebury/Gibson 19, Ward/Price 18; Robinson/Lewis 24, Tomkins/Tomkins 11; Cockburn/Rippon 14, Collingwood/Hind 22; Packham/Hardman 25, Dougherty/Taylor 21; Hutchinson/Fenwick 23, Adams/Cooke 12; Standing/Stephenson 13, Weetman/Davidson 23; Smith/Dougherty 26, Stonehouse/Rigg 17; Noble/Brown 21, Higgins/Hartley 12; Walk-overs: Hold/Weston, B Playfor/O'Hara.

Triples: J Cooke 25, R Hold 11. J Ainger w.o.