WHILE Durham will welcome Paul Coughlin back to first team cricket in this evening's opening NatWest T20 Blast match at Worcester, there is a slight concern about Paul Collingwood.

The four-day captain has a sore toe, which has prevented him from bowling this season, but is very keen to play.

Collingwood's medium pace variations have been a key feature of Durham's T20 attack in recent years and they might be reluctant to play him purely as a batsman as he averaged only 18.6 in the competition last year.

If he has his own way he will be in the side and one-day captain Mark Stoneman said: “It's hard to keep the old man down and he has a high pain threshold. But if he can't bowl Keaton Jennings can do a similar job.”

Stoneman is delighted to recall Coughlin, who played in only three T20 games last year before a recurrence of his back trouble ruled him out for the rest of the season in mid-June.

The 23-year-old all-rounder from Sunderland has been carefully handled in the second team so far this season and Stoneman said: “He has been performing brilliantly in all aspects of the game. He will play a big part in our one-day cricket this year.”

A highly-rated seamer, Coughlin also showed his prowess with the bat by making 85 at No 10 on his championship debut at home to Lancashire two years ago.

He also made two half-centuries in the first seven matches last year and took 19 wickets at 23.31 before injury struck in the win against Sussex at Arundel.

Others who have played only second team cricket so far but are in tonight's squad include Phil Mustard and Calum MacLeod.

Stoneman added: “With Michael Richardson and Stuart Poynter as well as the Colonel (Mustard) we have three keepers who could all get in for their batting alone.

“But the Colonel will start. His record speaks for itself and he's a match-winner on form.

“Without John Hastings this season we are lacking an out-and-out power player at the lower end, so we have to be aware of that and not leave ourselves too much work at the back end of the innings.”

With Chris Rushworth out of action for at least another week with a buttock muscle injury, last season's leading T20 wicket-taker Usman Arshad will take the new ball.

“He has great skills with the white ball and is really keen to take on the challenge of bowling two overs up front and two at the death,” said Stoneman.

Many observers were mystified as to why Scott Borthwick batted as low as ten last season, but even after his two championship hundreds against Lancashire this week he is unlikely to be up the order.

“Scott's T20 role is primarily with the ball,” said Stoneman. “He's not as confident with his game as a T20 batsman.”

Durham lost home and away last year to Worcestershire, who have reached the quarter-finals in three of the last four years.

They include two New Zealanders in seamer Matt Henry and all-round Mitch Santner, who bowls left-arm spin.