DURHAM skipper Will Smith was still confident yesterday that Steve Harmison will be available for the championship game against Somerset starting at Taunton today.

The England selectors originally made their centrallycontracted players available only for last week’s county games, but Harmison is not certain of a Test recall and suddenly faces competition from Graham Onions.

Even if the selectors do name Harmison in their squad tomorrow they might want him to keep bowling as he has shown in the past that he needs the early season work to find his best form.

Smith said: “Steve will be a key bowler for us at Taunton.

The pitch is usually pretty flat and it’s a big help to have someone who’s a bit special and a bit different.”

In the first match of the season at Taunton two weeks ago James Hildreth scored a triple century for Somerset in a high-scoring stalemate against Warwickshire.

Like last season, Somerset appear to lack the bowling firepower to challenge for the title, although they were still in contention when Durham went down there in early September last year.

On that occasion the hosts mysteriously produced a pitch designed to suit their spinners, Ian Blackwell and Michael Munday. They obviously hoped it would nullify the threat of Harmison, but he still took five wickets in the first innings.

Durham had much the better of a rain-ruined draw and as Blackwell is now in their team it will be a surprise if Somerset’s tactics are anything other than piling up runs.

Australian Justin Langer, widely regarded as a big reason for Blackwell’s departure, is again the captain and with Marcus Trescothick alongside him at the top of the order, followed by Hildreth and Zander de Bruyn, batting is Somerset’s strength. Even the wicketkeeper, Craig Kieswetter, has been among the runs.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul scored 93 in last year’s match, and his place is currently being occupied by Gordon Muchall, who was handed a reprieve when he was dropped on 13 by Matthew Hoggard last Friday.

Muchall went on to make an unbeaten 51 and Smith said: “I’m very happy that Gordon made his half-century. Hopefully it will settle him down because when he’s playing well he strikes the ball as well as anyone.”

Muchall has so far kept out Gareth Breese, who traditionally does well against Somerset.

He is in the squad, along with Ben Harmison and Mitch Claydon.

With Liam Plunkett on England Lions duty, Claydon seems certain to play, while Ben Harmison is breathing down Mark Stoneman’s neck after the young opener made two and nought against Yorkshire.

Durham (from): W R Smith (capt), M J Di Venuto, M D Stoneman, G J Muchall, D M Benkenstein, I D Blackwell, P Mustard, C D Thorp, G Onions, S J Harmison, B W Harmison, G R Breese, M E Claydon.