DURHAM will be without Kyle Coetzer for this week’s Twenty20 Cup games at Headingley today and at Old Trafford on Thursday.

Coetzer has chosen to take up the invitation to play for Scotland in the World T20 Championship, for which they have a warm-up game against England at Trent Bridge today.

“It’s a pity we’ve lost him just when he has started to make a contribution,” said Durham coach Geoff Cook. “It was his choice and we wouldn’t want to deny anyone the chance to play in a World Championship.”

After missing the start of the season with Durham because he was in South Africa for the World Cup qualifiers, Coetzer stayed with the Scots for their early Friends Provident Trophy matches.

He was then recalled by Durham and opened the batting in their last three FPT games, when Michael Di Venuto was injured.

After scoring 61 at The Oval and 36 at home to Gloucestershire, he has batted at three in the T20 and was top scorer in two of the last three matches.

For today’s match, which starts at 5.30, Gordon Muchall will return in a team which is unlikely to show any o t h e r changes, despite the spinners’ struggles.

While spinners have often caused problems for Durham in this competition, their own have not had a big impact. It was hoped Ian Blackwell would make a difference in that respect, but between them he and Gareth Breese have taken one for 213 in 21 overs so far.

That’s in stark contrast to their efforts on a slow Headingley pitch in Durham’s FPT visit three weeks ago, when both bowled ten overs and Blackwell took three for 26, while Breese had one for 21.

While unbeaten Lancashire look like running away with the T20 group, second place is wide open with Durham, Yorkshire and Derbyshire all having won two out of four.

Durham will want at least one win from their two games this week to stay in contention before Australian David Warner joins them for the second batch of four games on June 23-28.

Durham: W R Smith (capt), M J Di Venuto, P Mustard, G J Muchall, D M Benkenstein, I R Blackwell, G R Breese, B W Harmison, M E Claydon, G Onions, N Killeen.