THERE was mixed news for Durham on the injury front yesterday, with Nathan Astle looking likely to be fit for the four-day match against Essex starting at Riverside on Thursday, while Liam Plunkett is doubtful, writes Tim Wellock.

Plunkett's bruised heel remains painful and coach Martyn Moxon said: "He's a concern. We will just have to see how it goes. It depends how quickly it responds to treatment.

"Callum Thorp has recovered from the neck problem which prevented him from bowling against the university. He bowled against the academy at the weekend and seems fine, so he could come into the reckoning, along with Mark Turner and Neil Killeen. Graham Onions is still out with a broken finger."

With Paul Collingwood now away on England one-day duty, Moxon wants no further disruption to his team.

"In the last three games we have not been at our best," he said. "We made more errors at Worcester than we had all season in the championship.

"We have been going out with the same game plan, but it was disappointing that no-one went on to make a good score in our first innings. It's important to keep doing the basics well."