DURHAM wicketkeeper Phil Mustard goes head-to-head with Sussex's Matt Prior at Hove over the next four days, but it will be too late to affect the selection of the England one-day squad.

Mustard is the man in possession, but is short of runs this season compared with Prior, while there is every chance the selectors will decide Tim Ambrose should keep wicket in both forms of the game.

One of those selectors, James Whitaker, has been a regular visitor to Riverside this season and was present on Monday to see Mustard fall for 24 against Derbyshire.

It was the sort of innings he has tended to play for England, getting the team off to a good start then getting out.

Prior rescued his side with 131 out of a first innings total of 277 when champions Sussex recorded their first win of the season at Trent Bridge last week.

He also scored 64 in the second innings, but the doubts about his glovework continue to count against him at international level.

Mustard has totalled 100 runs in six championship innings to date and after failing to reach three-figures in four-day cricket last season will be keen to add to the two centuries he scored in 2006.

The second of those was a carefree knock at Hove when the game was already as good as lost after Durham trailed by 380 on first innings.

Skipper Chris Adams scored 155 for Sussex and he followed up with 193 in another innings defeat for Durham at Horsham last year.

Mushtaq Ahmed took a total of 17 wickets in those two games and at Riverside in 2006 he had match figures of ten for 37.

But Durham went some way towards laying the bogey when they beat Sussex at Riverside last year to set up a thrilling climax to the title chase, in which Adams' men pipped Durham by 4.5 points.

Mushtaq returned at Trent Bridge after being out for three weeks following shoulder surgery. By all accounts he was below his best, and after the recent rain Sussex could be more dependent on a seam attack which now features West Indian Corey Collymore.

Durham currently lie next to the bottom, but are the only team to have played only three games with some having played five.

They will be without Graham Onions, who bowled in the nets yesterday but was still troubled by his sore heel. Liam Plunkett's expected return in the second team win against Worcestershire at Tynemouth also did not materialise, but has been pencilled in to play for the academy tomorrow.

Will Smith has retained his place after ousting Kyle Coetzer from the one-day team, and the final choice is between Mitch Claydon and Callum Thorp.

Durham (from): D M Benkenstein (capt), M J Di Venuto, M D Stoneman, W R Smith, N D McKenzie, P Mustard,, B W Harmison, P J Wiseman, M Davies, S J Harmison, M E Claydon, C D Thorp

Tickets for Durham's Friends Provident Trophy quarter-final at home to Nottinghamshire next Wednesday (12.00) can be purchased at www.durhamccc.co.uk

Matt Prior is hoping his hard work during the winter will pay off with a recall to England's one-day squad for the forthcoming series against New Zealand.

''Matt has done brilliantly this year,'' enthused Sussex coach Mark Robinson. ''He's gone about his business in a quiet and determined manner and not gone into a sulk over what would have been a massive disappointment when he was dropped by England.

''We all try to help the players here at Sussex, but the decision about how a player reacts is down to himself and his performances this season have been a testament to his character.

''When a player returns from playing international cricket to play at county level, I would expect him to look a stand-out player because of his experience playing against outstanding opposition."