DURHAM are hoping a big Bank Holiday crowd at Riverside today will help them avenge their totesport League defeat at Derby four weeks ago.

The imbalanced fixture list has deprived them of one-day action since amassing their record total of 319 for three at Worcester, when Marcus North and Paul Collingwood made centuries.

Despite being retained in the squad for the second Test at Headingley, Collingwood is expected to be available today and Durham are also banking on the return of Shoaib Akhtar to provide some star quality against opponents even harder hit by injuries.

Having been deprived of Michael di Venuto, who was to have captained them this season, and Tasmanian all-rounder Damien Wright, who had also signed, Derbyshire have temporarily lost both replacements.

Victorian all-rounder Jon Moss arrived too late for Durham's visit to Derby at the end of April and has since suffered a bulging disc in the neck. He could play today, but only as a batsman.

Chris Rogers, Marcus North's Western Australia teammate, is recovering more quickly than expected from ankle ligament damage but will probably have to wait another week.

Rogers made 156 in the championship clash between the sides at Derby after the first two days had been washed out, then North made a 94-ball century for Durham on the final day.

Derbyshire have signed Jamaican paceman Darren Powell, but he struggled to make an impact during his debut in the championship defeat by Glamorgan last week.

Durham will be more worried about Hetton-born Graeme Welch having his usual impact against his native county.

He took four for 26 as Durham were dismissed for 207 at Derby, and the hosts won by six wickets with 2.3 overs to spare.

Durham (from): J J B Lewis (capt), M J North, N Peng, P D Collingwood, G J Muchall, G J Pratt, G R Breese, A Pratt, Shoaib Akhtar, N Killeen, M Davies, I Pattison

Derbyshire (from): L Sutton (capt), S Stubbings, A Gait, C Bassano, H Adnan, J Bryant, G Welch, M Sheikh, A Botha, K Dean, D Powell, J Moss.

Read more about Durham here.