Durham are looking to continue their unbeaten start to the men’s T20 Blast when they take on Yorkshire in Chester-le-Street on Friday, 29 May [6:30pm].
Ryan Campbell has named a 14-player squad to face local rivals Yorkshire.
Shafiqullah Ghafari is in contention for his first white ball appearance, while Luke Robinson drops out of the fold in order to manage his workload.
Durham top the Vitality Blast table while the White Rose sit just below in second place with both sides having won their opening two games.
Yorkshire got off to a winning start with a seven-wicket victory against Notts Outlaws before edging past Derbyshire Falcons by two wickets.
Words from Ryan Campbell
It’s pretty exciting for us, it’s a good start. We know it’s going to get a lot harder and it’s no disrespect to Derbyshire and Leicestershire but we know every game’s hard, but it’s going to get real hard now.
It’s really nice to start the competition the way we have, it’s getting a bit of confidence going and getting a bit of structure about what we’re doing.
You think back, there was one ball, Leicestershire dropped a catch. That can be the difference in T20 cricket. One mistake and Graham Clark literally climbed into everything that came his way after that.
Even more pleasing for me is the guy at the other end, the skipper. Every time I look at social media I’m getting stick because Alex (Lees) opens the batting and I think, what are they on? This guy is so talented and now he’s got the handbrake off.
Squad v Yorkshire (29 May)
Colin Ackermann, Kasey Aldridge, David Bedingham, Graham Clark, Shafiqullah Ghafari, Alex Lees*, James Minto, Haydon Mustard, Callum Parkinson, Matthew Potts, Ben Raine, Will Rhodes, Ollie Robinson+, Nathan Sowter.
Opposition Corner
Captain: Jonny Bairstow
Overseas players: Hasan Ali (Pakistan, all), Faheem Ashraf (Pakistan, all), Logan van Beek (Netherlands, first half).
Finals Day appearances: Three (2012, 2016, 2022)
Titles: None
2025 finish: 8th in North Group
2025 leading run-scorer: Dawid Malan (365)
2025 leading wicket-taker: Will O’Rourke (15)
Key winter moves: Pakistani duo Hasan Ali and Faheem Ashraf have replaced injured duo Naveen-ul-Haq and Will Sutherland. Experienced Australian pair AJ Tye and Sam Whiteman are in on domestic-qualified deals, while ex-England all-rounder Moeen Ali is the headline recruit on a two-year Blast only deal. Former captain Dawid Malan has gone to Gloucestershire, with Jonny Bairstow stepping into his leadership shoes. Jordan Thompson has also left for Warwickshire.
The big question: Can Yorkshire shed themselves of an unwanted statistic? They are one of only four counties never to have won the Vitality Blast alongside northern rivals Derbyshire and Durham, and also Glamorgan. Coach Anthony McGrath and general manager of cricket Gavin Hamilton have gone for added experience in a bid to change years of underachievement in county cricket’s shortest format.
Wildcard watch: Will Luxton showed signs of excellence last summer, posting three fifties, including a stunning 90 not out opening the batting in a surprise away win over North Group winners Lancashire Lightning. With Malan Gloucestershire-bound, there’s a permanent place at the top of the order within exhilarating 23-year-old Luxton’s grasp. If he can grab it, it could be fun to watch.
Final thought: A quote from Gavin Hamilton in December, shortly after the 2026 fixtures were released, perfectly sums up how Yorkshire’s hierarchy are viewing T20 cricket. He said: “Next season is absolutely huge in terms of the Blast. Look, we know where we are in terms of our T20 side. We’re not where we want to be. We’re well aware that we can’t just keep doing the same things. That first trophy would be a stepping stone, hopefully, to bigger things.”
Match Centre
The Club’s match centre will be in operation for the fixture with live scorecards, statistics & video highlights as they happen. You can watch the game live via Durham’s match centre and Durham’s YouTube channel. Durham Cricket will have full coverage on social media, with a full match report at the close.