INJURY-HIT Durham will today find themselves up against the best bowler they have produced in first-class cricket, Melvyn Betts.

While Simon Brown is easily Durham's leading wicket-taker, he served his apprenticeship with Northants, whereas Durham developed Betts from a Sacriston junior into an England A bowler.

The 26-year-old paceman makes his championship debut for Warwickshire after missing their opening game with a groin injury he suffered on a pre-season tour to South Africa.

He has since won a Benson & Hedges Gold Award for taking four for 22 at Taunton, but suffered a recurrence of his injury in the next match and missed the win against Worcestershire on Monday, which earned Warwickshire a quarter-final at Trent Bridge.

Betts is named in a squad of 12 for today, however, and will relish bowling at a Durham line-up without Martin Love, Nick Speak and Jimmy Daley.

The hamstring injury Daley suffered when running a quick single at Headingley on Monday is not as bad as Speak's and, along with Love, he could be back for the home match against Middlesex starting next Wednesday.

With Neil Killeen facing a fitness test this morning on his ankle, Durham keep Ian Hunter in the squad and have also pulled Gary Pratt out of the second team match, in which he was one of only four staff players involved.

Paul Collingwood will continue to defy his groin problem, with skipper Jon Lewis saying: "It alters the whole balance of the team when he is not in it.

"He needs a rest, but he will have to wait until the three-day break after this match. He's playing some of the best cricket of his life and is very keen to keep going.

"Stephen Harmison will definitely play. He was bending my ear all last week about getting a game and his first spell at Headingley was excellent.

"Ian Hunter also bowled very well, but we might need a spinner at Edgbaston."

Warwickshire, who failed to win a home championship match last season, usually include two spinners in Neil Smith and Ashley Giles, but Giles is injured and will miss the first Test against Pakistan.

Vasbert Drakes, a Barbadian paceman who has also played for Border in South Africa for five years, is the overseas replacement for Allan Donald. While not as big a name as his predecessor, he took 80 championship wickets for Nottinghamshire two years ago, scores useful runs and has a reputation for staying fit.

England A batsman Michael Powell, 26, is Warwickshire's new captain and under the coaching of Bob Woolmer they are expected to press hard for promotion.

Durham (from): J J B Lewis (capt), M A Gough, P D Collingwood, M P Speight, N Peng, G Pratt, A Pratt, D R Law, N C Phillips, N Killeen, J E Brinkley, S J Harmison, I D Hunter.

Warwickshire (from): M J Powell (capt), N V Knight, M A Wagh, D L Hemp, D P Ostler, D R Brown, N M K Smith, K J Piper, V C Drakes, M M Betts, M A Sheikh, A Richardson.

* Durham's B & H quarter-final against Gloucester at Bristol is on Tuesday, May 22.