DURHAM are returning to Stockton for the first time for four years for a Frizzell County Championship match this season.

They will play Worcestershire at the Grangefield Road ground on May 14-17, which are the same dates on which Kent visited in 1999.

Durham were all out for 93 on that occasion before current skipper Jon Lewis made 132 out of 325 in the second innings in a five-wicket defeat.

Durham have decamped from headquarters only twice in the last three years, both times to Darlington, and this season's fixture list originally showed all matches at Riverside.

But they have decided to bring Stockton in from the cold to allow head groundsman, Dave Measor, uninterrupted preparation of the pitch for the Riverside's first Test against Zimbabwe on June 5-9.

There is also a possibility that the match against Durham University on May 9-11 will be switched to the Racecourse.

Stockton was one of the six grounds used by Durham in their first three seasons of first-class cricket and remained on the rota of three outgrounds when the Riverside came on stream. Hartlepool later dropped out through lack of council backing.

Durham chairman Bill Midgley said: "We are delighted to be playing at least one of our games at an outground in the south of the county this season."

Durham are to play a practice match against Yorkshire at the Riverside today and tomorrow, but England players Stephen Harmison and Paul Collingwood will not be involved.

"They have been practising in the mornings this week and will join us for practice matches at Derby on Monday and Old Trafford next Wednesday," said coach Martyn Moxon.

The only casualties in the Durham squad at the moment are former academy all-rounders Chris Mann, who missed all last season with a shoulder injury, and Gary Scott, who will be out for several weeks with a torn groin muscle.

For batting purposes, the Durham team today will be: J J B Lewis (capt), M P Gough, G J Pratt, V J Wells, N Peng, G J Muchall, A Pratt, I D Hunter, G D Bridge, A M Davies, N Killeen.

Nicky Phillips, Nick Hatch and England Under 19 player Liam Plunkett will also be allowed to bowl and Phil Mustard will share wicketkeeping duties with Andrew Pratt. Play will be from 10.30-6pm and admission is free.

* Tickets for the Test match are on sale at £25 for adults per day for the first four days and £10 for U16s for the first three days and £5 for the Sunday. Call the Ticket Hotline on 0191 387 5151 or Ticketmaster on 0870 90 90 190 or visit www.CricketTickets.net.

* Darren Gough hit the comeback trail at Headingley yesterday with some impressive bursts of bowling in the Yorkshire XI's two-day friendly with Bradford-Leeds Universities' Centre of Excellence, writes David Warner..

He gave every indication that he is making a full recovery from the knee problems which have plagued him for the past 18 months and now seems set to play for Yorkshire in their opening Championship match against Northamptonshire at Headingley on Good Friday.

Captain Gough brought himself straight into the action with five overs from the Kirkstall Lane end after Leeds-Bradford had won the toss and he struck in his third over by trapping former Yorkshire Academy wicketkeeper-batsman Ismail Dawood lbw.

Bowling within himself on a slow pitch, Gough emerged from his first spell with figures of 5-2-12-1 and after two further short stints his final figures were 12-3-31-2.

Bradford-born Tabassum Bhatti, another Yorkshire Academy product, survived Gough's opening blast and batted patiently for 19 in 27 overs before losing his off-stump to all-rounder Chris Gilbert.

Bowled out for 125, the Universities went straight in again and reached 119 for two at the close, Dawood slamming 58 off 53 balls with seven fours, the arrangement being that Yorkshire will have 100 overs today in which to make 245 to win.