DURHAM are still waiting for the England medical staff to give Mark Wood the all-clear to resume playing.

Ruled out of the third of the four Tests against South Africa by a heel injury, the Ashington paceman has been back in training for two weeks and a Twenty20 match would seem an obvious route back into action.

With only tonight's match at Derby and Friday's at Northampton left, Durham cannot escape bottom place in the north group.

It was a relief to cash-strapped Durham that Wood was awarded a central contract last September, underlining how highly rated he is by the England hierarchy. But his injury problems continue to be a concern and his fitness is being closely monitored.

Derbyshire have been the surprise package in this year's NatWest T20 Blast and as both they and Northants are vying for a quarter-final place Durham cannot be seen to do them any favours.

There will, however, be a temptation to rest Paul Collingwood and give further experience to Jack Burnham or Cameron Steel, who have lost their places since Tom Latham and Keaton Jennings became available.

Derbyshire, who have beaten Yorkshire home and away, will be captained by South African wicketkeeper/batsman Daryn Smit in the absence of Gary Wilson, who is on Ireland duty.

They include three other South Africans in paceman Hardus Viljoen, who has played in one Test, leg-spinner Imran Tahir and prolific batsman Wayne Madsen. They also have New Zealand seamer Matt Henry.

Play starts at 6.30 and will be preceded at 2.30 by a match in the new women's Kia Super League between Loughborough Lightning and Southern Vipers.

Durham have signed Middlesex seamer Harry Podmore on loan to play second team cricket for the rest of the season.

He played in yesterday's one-day friendly against Yorkshire at Emirates Riverside, when he and Jack Burnham were the only home players to score more than 11.

Burnham made 80 off 90 balls and Podmore 47 in a total of 179, which Yorkshire knocked off for the loss of three wickets. Spinners Ben Whitehead and George Harding took the wickets.

The teams meet again in a three-day match starting today.