CLUBS in the Darlington Building Society North Yorkshire and South Durham Premier League head into the Bank Holiday progamme with a number still sweating on the first appearance of their overseas professional.

Work permits, visas, and money-laden Twenty20 competitions are taking hold and Darlington, Northallerton, Great Ayton, Richmondshire and Billingham have all had to make do and mend.

At Feethams the wait will go unitl next week, when Indian signing, Salil Avinash Agarkar, is due. The Quakers travel to Bishop Auckland today and face Northallerton at Darlington on Monday.

Bishops have their own problems as their star player from the opening games, Richard Hawthorne, has departed to play for Swalwell in the NTSL.

It is unlikely that Northallerton will have Shreyas Khanolkar for either game. David Wake will play in place of Mark Cowell.

For Richmond, Sharni Dissanayake is expected to arrive in time for their matches, and Chris Layfield and Jamie Stead return.

Great Ayton expected to have Riaz Afridi available, but they take on leaders Normanby Hall at Leven Park and follow up with a trip to Acklam Park to face the champions. Stephen Pennock is free to play and replaces his father in the team.

Billingham's wait is over and Sri Lankan Nisal Randika will turn out as they face Middlesbrough and then Guisborough.

Tony Booth steps out of a twogame retirement to keep wicket for Blackhall who have a home derby against Hartlepool followed by a trip to an unchanged Marton. Pace bowler Callum Prosser, 18, debuts for Hartlepool, with Isran Hussain and Peter Rhoden stepping up.

The revolving door at Marske keeps on spinning - they have another four changes this weekend - but Steve Chapman is back for trips to Richmond and Bishops.

Middlesbrough hope to have Durham player Mitch Claydon for their games, whilst buoyant Normanby Hall have Dave Cross in the side - after the match at Ayton they face Redcar at home.

Shahid Nazir, who missed Sunderland's opening day hammering by South Northumberland in the Northern Rock North-East Premier League, will boost the side to play the Durham Academy at Ashbrooke today. Castle Eden youngsters, Ross Kirtley and Callum Harding come into the Academy's reckoning.

Blaydon travel to Stockton in good spirits after their powerful opening performance, firstchoice keeper Graham Martin returning.

The home side bring in James Ward for Dean Williams.

South North name an unchanged team for the visit of Norton who have Jonathan Rickard replacing Chris Fawcett.

Liam Simpson returns for Chester-le-Street and Tony Birbeck is also in the frame. The Cestrians entertain a Gateshead Fell side for whom Durham's Will Gidman will play.

Aussie Geoff Cullen is in the South Shields line-up for the home game with Newcastle, and Phil Bell is available. For the visitors, Guy Saxon is injured, but Gordon Muchall is available.

In the Warmseal Durham Senior League, opening-day winners Felling take an unchanged side to play Durham City, who are still reeling from last week's defeat by Eppleton, when they snatched defeat from the jaws of victory by losing six wickets for seven runs when needing 14 to win.

Eppleton are unchanged for the visit of Hetton Lyons, whose new professional, Dilan Malinga Surappulige, debuts. Ian Male is replaced by Lee Cowan.

Burnmoor blood two Durham University students at Horden as batsman/wicketkeeper Jack Browne and bowler Alexander Woodhouse replace the missing Alec Linsley and Martin Thursfield.

Whitburn have Paul Cook and Eden Elstob in their line up to face Boldon, who are unchanged.

Seaham Harbour draft in Stephen Sennett and Michael Rich for their home game with a settled South Hetton.

The big news in the Northumberland & Tyneside Senior League is Swalwell's signing of Richard Hawthorne from Bishop Auckland. He will not be registered in time for the game with Leadgate, but will come into next week's reckoning. Leadgate miss Davy Alderson and Paul Hutchinson today.

After last week's aborted opening day programme clubs in the Readers Durham County League hopefully get into action with two matches over the Bank Holiday weekend, with today's clash between Kimblesworth and Esh Winning an appetising highlight.

In the 3D Durham Coast League, the games at Castle Eden and Seaham Park, where Boldon CA and Silksworth are the respective visitors, look like the matches of the day.