DURHAM will find themselves up against former team-mate Marcus North when they attempt to qualify for their first Lord's final in the C & G Trophy match at Derby tomorrow.

The left-handed Australian batsman has joined Derbyshire as a temporary replacement for Travis Birt, who has been included in the Australia A squad and will be away until the end of July.

North, 26, played for Durham in 2004, when he was due to continue his association with Gateshead Fell but was drafted into the county squad when Herschelle Gibbs was unable to fulfil his contract.

One of the two championship centuries North scored was at Derby, and last season he filled in as a temporary replacement for Brad Hodge at Lancashire, but played in only three games with a top score of 60.

As a Western Australia player, he should be well known to Durham's man of the moment, Callum Thorp, while Victorian Mick Lewis is also due to return after his groin injury.

Derbyshire will be without their other former Durham player, Ian Hunter, who has broken a toe, but Hetton-born skipper Graeme Welch is expected to play with a broken finger.

Durham need to win while Lancashire lose or suffer a no-result at Edgbaston as they contest the right to meet Sussex in the final at Lord's on August 26.

Durham and Lancashire have identical records with six wins, one defeat and one no-result, but if both win tomorrow the Red Rose men will go through by virtue of their 125-run win against Durham at Old Trafford.

The folly of allowing only the top teams from the north and south groups to progress has been acknowledged this week with the announcement that there will be semi-finals next season. But that will be scant consolation to Durham if they fail to make it after putting their poor record in the event behind them.

Since losing a quarter-final to Lancashire at Blackpool in 2001 they hadn't beaten a first-class side in this competition until this season. It was one of the lowlights of last season when they lost their home tie against Derbyshire by one wicket.

With a target of 235, the visitors needed 14 off the last over, bowled by Steve Harmison, with one wicket standing. They won off the last ball, with Ant Botha finishing on 34 not out to go with the four for 44 he took with his left-arm spin.

Although Botha is expected to play, the Derbyshire side will include a number of youngsters and the fear is that Warwickshire will not exactly be going flat out to beat Lancashire.

Durham (from): D M Benkenstein, J P Maher, J J B Lewis, G M Scott, G J Pratt, G J Muchall, G R Breese, P Mustard, O D Gibson, C D Thorp, N Killeen, M L Lewis, G Onions.