DURHAM are to hand Liam Plunkett and Phil Mustard their championship debuts against Yorkshire at Headingley today.

The match will feature a third debutant in Yorkshire's 26-year-old South African-born medium-fast bowler Pieter Swanepoel.

With Ian Pattison also retained in the Durham squad, there is no recall for Andrew Pratt or Danny Law, but Michael Gough has been reprieved by the injury to Martin Love.

Law took four for 13 in the second innings of the Second X1 Championship match at Blackpool and scored 32 out of 159 as Durham lost by seven runs.

But coach Martyn Moxon said: "It was a slow, low pitch and none of the three benefited batting-wise as we had hoped.

"Danny bowled well, but we want consistency in batting and bowling from him. We also wanted Gough and Pratt to make big scores, but in Andrew's case he will now have to rely on whatever we can organise between the seconds and the academy.

"There is no more second team cricket until June 9, which again underlines the conflict between saving cash by cutting back and having enough cricket."

Moxon, who said he would love to beat his former county for the first time since taking over as Durham coach in 2001, is keen for Plunkett and Mustard to have their chance.

With Stephen Harmison unavailable because of his England contract, Plunkett will open the bowling after recovering from the knee injury he suffered against Durham University.

Mustard was out first ball when sent in to open in the C & G Trophy disaster against Lancashire on Wednesday, but Moxon said: "He was given the licence to go in and play his shots. If it had come off it would have been fantastic, but he was unlucky.

"I was very impressed with his wicketkeeping and he deserves his chance. It will be interesting to see how he gets on in the longer game."

Vince Wells is again ruled out by his back problem, but could be fit for the next match against Hampshire at the Rose Bowl next Wednesday.

On the subject of finding a replacement for Dewald Pretorius, who has only the two championship games left before teaming up with the South Africa squad, Moxon said: "We are working frantically on it and hope to have someone by early next week."

Yorkshire were asked politely but firmly by England yesterday not to pick captain Anthony McGrath for today's match, despite a scan revealing that his side strain had cleared up.

The news was relayed to Yorkshire in a phone call from England team operations manager, Phil Neale, at around the time it was announced that McGrath had been included in England's one-day squad.

The reason given was that with the second Test against Zimbabwe at Riverside next week being followed by a batch of at least nine one-day internationals, England did not want McGrath to be overworked.

Yorkshire have had to accept the situation but are hardly over the moon with England's stance.

Director of cricket, Geoff Cope, said: "I am personally disappointed at McGrath's absence because the Durham game is such a big one for us and I would rather have the captain in the side."

Darren Gough has not been barred from playing today and Yorkshire are relieved that he will be spearheading their attack.

Ryan Sidebottom has still not recovered fully from the hamstring problem he experienced last weekend and Yorkshire have decided that 18-year-old paceman Tim Bresnan needs to be rested.

Swanepoel, who plays Yorkshire League cricket for Sheffield United, originates from Paarl, near Cape Town, and this year became eligible as an English qualified player.

Yorkshire have promoted Kevin Sharp from batting coach to head coach and put him in charge of all first team affairs.

Cope said: "Arnie Sidebottom remains second team coach and Steve Oldham Academy coach." Durham (from): J J B Lewis (capt), M A Gough, G J Pratt, G J Muchall, N Peng, I Pattison, P Mustard, L Plunkett, N C Phillips, N Killeen, D Pretorius, A M Davies.

Yorkshire (from): Wood, Richardson, Yuvraj, Lumb, Blakey, Fellows, Dawson, Gough, Silverwood, Swanepoel, Kirby, Gray.