AFTER being cut down by Melvyn Betts last week, Durham will be anxious to avoid embarrassment at the hands of Michael Roseberry over the next few days.

In his two seasons back at Middlesex, Roseberry has averaged 24.15 and 24.11 in the championship, which is remarkably similar to what he achieved over the previous four years with Durham.

Prior to that his career average in nine seasons with Middlesex was 37.30, and as they attempt to climb out of the doldrums by building a young side, it is a measure of Middlesex's respect for the 34-year-old Sunderland-born opener that they have given him another two-year contract.

Roseberry's loss of form on accepting the Durham captaincy was as much a shock to him as to everyone else, and although he maintained his dignity throughout he was finally obliged to throw in the towel.

Riverside pitches no doubt had something to do with it, and he is likely to find today's track a belter by comparison.

He is in the Middlesex team ahead of another Durham School product, Robin Weston, who has had some injury problems.

Roseberry tasted success on his first return to Chester-le-Street, hitting 77 not out in a National League match two years ago, which he followed with 83 in the return fixture at Lord's.

Middlesex have finished in the bottom three of the championship for the last three seasons, and their winter departures did not augur well for this year.

Mark Ramprakash joined Surrey, while seamer Richard Johnson and off-spinning all-rounder Keith Dutch went to Somerset.

They were not replaced, while after the demise of Mike Gatting, John Emburey was brought in as coach despite his disappointing record with Northamptonshire.

Last season Emburey was player-coach with Berkshire, for whom he took four for 13 in the NatWest Trophy third round defeat by Durham, prompting them to ask whether he would be available for their final championship match against Surrey at the Oval.

The plan was to play him if they still had a chance of Division One survival. It smacked of desperation and prompted speculation that Durham might want him as coach, although this was denied.

Emburey said he would emigrate to Australia if a job did not crop up, but Middlesex stepped in and he has enjoyed a reasonable start. New overseas player Stephen Fleming, the New Zealand captain, scored a century in last week's win against Gloucestershire, while Owais Shah is finally showing signs of fulfilling his enormous talent.

With Angus Fraser as captain, Emburey has turned to another of his old mates, Graham Gooch, for some batting coaching. As the former England captain still has a consultancy role with Durham he will have an interest in both camps today.

Durham welcome back Martin Love, although his cracked finger will prevent him from fielding in the slips, where several catches have gone down already this season.

The quality of the pitch is now such that going into Riverside matches with an all-seam attack may be a thing of the past, so Neil Killeen's return could be at the expense of Ian Hunter rather than Nicky Phillips.

Hunter looked every inch an excellent prospect until his nightmare with the ball in the second innings at Edgbaston, and if Durham feel he can quickly get over that he could get the vote ahead of James Brinkley.

Durham (from): J J B Lewis (capt), M A Gough, M L Love, P D Collingwood, N Peng, D R Law, A Pratt, I D Hunter, N Killeen, N C Phillips, J E Brinkley, S J Harmison.

Middlesex (from): A R C Fraser (capt), M A Roseberry, A J Strauss, O A Shah, S P Fleming, B L Hutton, P N Weekes, D C Nash, S J Cook, T F Bloomfield, J P Hewitt, P C R Tufnell.

* Yorkshire all-rounder Craig White will undergo a fitness Test at Lord's today on the eve of the series opener against Pakistan.

White reported for England's net session yesterday with a sore back, and after undergoing a scan is still rated as ''doubtful''.

The scan has not ruled him out, but White will bowl in the nets watched by England captain and coach Nasser Hussain and Duncan Fletcher before a final decision is made. Hussain will drop down to number four in the England batting order with Graham Thorpe at five and Alec Stewart six. Michael Vaughan is expected to go in first wicket down