BRYDON CARSE is set to make his first Durham appearance of the season in the Rothesay County Championship home game with Nottinghamshire that starts this morning.
And in another major boost to head coach Ryan Campbell and his players, David Bedingham is also back in the Durham squad for the first time since the game with Warwickshire in the middle of last month.
Prior to the start of the season, Campbell admitted Carse’s England responsibilities were likely to mean he did not feature for Durham at all this summer.
However, with the pace bowler having successfully completed his recovery from a toe injury, he has been granted permission to play for Durham in order to gain some match practice ahead of the start of the international schedule.
“We know the quality of Carsey,” said Campbell. “We aren’t going to expect the world of him, he hasn’t played a game in a long time.
“He’s done all of his rehab really well and his return to bowling has been good and solid. To have his face around is a big boost, and it’s really exciting to have his pace back in the squad.”
Bedingham is also included in a 15-man squad for the game at Banks Homes Riverside, along with 17-year-old seamer James Minto, who is in line for a first appearance of the summer after signing a two-year rookie contract earlier this week.
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Codi Yusuf is set for his first Riverside outing, while Sam Conners is in contention for his Durham debut in the County Championship after returning from an injury suffered during pre-season in Zimbabwe.
Jake Ball and Jack Blatherwick have returned to Somerset and Lancashire after their 14-day loan spells, while Brendan Doggett’s Durham stint has also come to an end after nine wickets in three appearances.
“We have dreamt of having these hard conversations about selection, but we haven’t had that opportunity yet because of injuries,” said Campbell, whose side sit sixth in the Division One table. “There are lots of guys there who are putting their hands up to play and we look forward to taking on Nottinghamshire in front of our supporters.
“We are feeling refreshed. We have probably had the greatest preparation for a game of county cricket that we could have had because we don’t usually get any time off. We’ve had a full week of taking our time with everything, and making sure every box is ticked and all the players are ready to go.”
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