ASHTON TURNER has been passed fit to return to the Durham squad for this evening’s Vitality Blast T20 game at home to Yorkshire Vikings.

Turner suffered a shoulder injury in Durham’s second T20 game against Northamptonshire Steelbacks, but has undergone a successful period of rehabilitation that has seen him cleared for a return to cricket.

He will lead Durham out at Seat Unique Riverside for the first time as his side attempt to make it back-to-back wins in the Vitality Blast. The tournament resumes after a brief break for a County Championship fixture, and is about to reach its halfway stage.

Durham got their third win last time out when they beat Lancashire Lightning in a thriller at Chester-le-Street, and currently sit in seventh position in a close North group with six points.

Yorkshire have enjoyed a positive start so far this term and sit fourth with nine points, having secured four wins.

David Bedingham is not named in the squad for tonight’s fixture having sustained an injury to his right shoulder when diving to stop a four during Durham’s LV=Insurance County Championship match against Worcestershire earlier this week.

Brydon Carse also drops out of the squad for tonight’s game as he is part if the England squad that is in the Netherlands for a One-Day International series.

“We are coming into the Yorkshire game on the back of a really good win over Lancashire last time out,” said Durham head coach James Franklin. “So, we know we are up for a big game on Friday night.

“Hopefully, we get a nice crowd in with the weather forecast looking well and truly fair, so we know if we can get a couple of really good results this weekend then that puts us straight back in to the mix again in the Vitality Blast. We are all really looking forward to Friday and Sunday.”

After hosting Yorkshire this evening, Durham are back in action on Sunday afternoon when Leicestershire visit Riverside.

It will be interesting to see how the two matches shape up, with this week’s Championship game against Worcestershire suggesting there has been a shift in the make-up of the wickets at Chester-le-Street.

In the past, Riverside was regarded as a bowler-friendly venue with runs tending to be at a premium, but that has not really been the case this season, as highlighted by this week’s game which saw Durham declare on 642-7 in their first innings, only for Worcestershire to respond with an equally impressive knock of 550.

“Maybe things are changing here,” said Franklin. “We re-laid the wicket here 18 months ago, last season it was bedding down and this season we might be seeing the fruits of that renovation.

“The pitches have been good wickets, and the groundsman has left more grass on than he ever has, but we’re just seeing wickets that are really good to bat on.”