DURHAM will consider following the example of Friends Provident Trophy opponents Hampshire if Scott Styris continues to struggle in the match against Sussex starting at Horsham today.

Hampshire have signed West Indian Daren Powell to replace Australian seamer Stuart Clarke, and the rules allow a newcomer to play in the Lord's final even though he has not appeared in any of the previous rounds.

"It's one of the options we are looking at," admitted Durham coach Geoff Cook, although those options are limited by September's Twenty20 World Championship.

Australia's training camp ahead of that event persuaded Hampshire there was little point in Clarke returning after going home for domestic reasons.

Although Powell took four for 40 against England last Saturday, he ought not to strike as much fear into Durham as Clarke at his metronomic best would do.

Durham's selection poser today will hinge on whether they can risk using Styris as their fourth seamer in order to bring in an extra batsman.

Mark Stoneman and Ben Harmison both travelled down from an A team win at Derby to join the squad yesterday, and with Kyle Coetzer already present the signs are that the balance of the team will be changed following the defeat by Surrey.

Durham were badly short of runs at The Oval and they will need all the batting they can muster to counter the twin spin threat of Mushtaq Ahmed and Saqlain Mushtaq.

After more rain fell in the south yesterday morning the hope is that the pitch will not favour the spinners, in which case Durham could leave out Gareth Breese and hand Stoneman his first-class debut.

The addition of Harmison to the squad also suggests that Gordon Muchall is again under pressure after scoring one run at The Oval.

It was at Hove last season that Harmison finally begin to show his pedigree as, after totalling 15 in five innings, he made 29 in the second innings and followed up with three half-centuries.

But Durham still lost by an innings, as they had at home to Sussex, and over the two games Mushtaq took 18 wickets for 158 runs.

Durham currently stand half a point ahead of the champions, having hung on to third place despite two successive defeats. But with only two points covering five clubs another defeat could see them slip well down the table.

Steve Harmison has been cleared to play by the England management, but Graham Onions is not available as he is in the England Lions team to play India at Chelmsford.

Durham (from): D M Benkenstein (capt), W R Smith, M D Stoneman, G R Breese, G J Muchall, S B Styris, B W Harmison, K J Coetzer, P Mustard, O D Gibson, P J Wiseman, L E Plunkett, M Davies, S J Harmison