Profiles / Editor / 08 June 2007 /

With most teams having only two games to play in the Friends Provident Trophy Conference season, less than half of the sides are in with a chance of reaching the semi-finals with most of their remaining games almost sudden-death.

Although both Conferences have tight races at the top, there is no doubt about the biggest game on Sunday's schedule as Durham host Nottinghamshire at the Riverside in a battle of the top two sides in the North. Durham are currently the shortest price of the three competitors from that Conference at 5.4 to lift the trophy.

South leaders Kent are the favourites at 5.1, despite the fact that there are still six teams in the race for two places in the semi-final from that Conference.

Durham top the northern table with 12 points from seven games but they remain under as much pressure as the remaining final-four challengers, as they know a defeat in this game will put them in serious doubt of making it through, with their final game coming against current third-placed side Warwickshire at Edgbaston.

The Bears play bottom-side Scotland on Sunday, a game most punters and cricket fans will expect them to win, which would make that final game next Wednesday an elimination game if Durham lose this weekend. Warwickshire are available at 6.6 to win the trophy in what is an extremely close outright market.

A Nottinghamshire win puts them in the semi-finals whatever the results elsewhere, unless the weather should intervene. They do have the backup of a final game at home to Lancashire if they lose on Sunday, and because of that they are a shorter price than Warwickshire at 6.2.

Durham will be looking for their seventh win in eight games this weekend, with only a home defeat by Derbyshire blotting their record. They have also won their last five games in all competitions and come into this match in a rich vein of form.

Although their overseas star Michael di Venuto has yet to really hit form in the one-day game this summer - 125 runs at only 20.83 - they have a deep enough line-up to overcome one out-of-form player, and that is the sum total of their troubles at the moment.

The recent addition of New Zealand all-rounder Scott Styris to the side adds another string to their bow and with he, Dale Benkenstein, Will Smith and keeper Phil Mustard all averaging over 50 in the competition, Durham's batting line-up looks strong.

Smith (103) and Benkenstein (94no) were the big run-producers in their last FPT game at the Riverside, where runs have been relatively easy to come by in decent conditions and the 332-4 they managed against Worcestershire will be a target again if the sun shines.

Although the speedy Graham Onions was expected to be their all-season bowling star in 2007, he has played third string to two surprise performers this summer so far, especially in 38-year-old Ottis Gibson.

Gibson has been sensational in his six FPT games, taking 14 wickets at 16.92 to top the wicket-takers table alongside Alex Wharf of Glamorgan, while spinner Gareth Breese has weighed in with a further 11.

Nottinghamshire had not been anticipated as one of the top sides in the country, but even only having skipper Stephen Fleming back for the last two weeks, that is just what they have been - top of Division Two in the County Championship and beaten just once all season, by Yorkshire in this competition some seven weeks ago.

Batting has definitely been the Outlaws strength this season, marked by the fact that seasoned campaigner and second foreign signing David Hussey respectable average of 37.66 is only the seventh-highest on the team.

But his 226 runs in six innings is good enough for third on the team stats behind Mark Wagh and a seemingly reborn Bilal Shafayat, a player touted for England recognition in the past and finding his new home at Trent Bridge very comfortable after a poor 2006 with Northants.

Shafayat is one of two Notts centurions in the FPT this season, but it was Fleming's fluent 107 off 97 balls that enabled them to post 299-5 and beat Leicestershire last time out.

But their bowling remains something of a question mark as they have often bowled second after the batsmen have set a big target. Unlike Durham, with three key pacemen and a solid spinner, Notts have relied on the evergreen Mark Ealham this season, with his ten wickets topping their chart.

Charlie Shreck, their main strike bowler, has taken only five wickets in five games and in the absence of England call-up Ryan Sidebottom (one wicket at 144 in the FPT), they need him to step up on those figures to challenge such a good side as Durham.

Apart from Warwickshire's trip to Edinburgh to face the struggling Scots, the other big games are in the South where any team from top-placed Kent to sixth side Somerset could still make it into the semi-finals.

Somerset must beat Surrey in their meeting at Taunton to stand any chance, especially with a trip to Essex to come in their final game next Wednesday. Meanwhile, a defeat for Kent by Hampshire would leave them struggling to make it through despite their current lofty position, but any ties on points would bring into account their strong Net Run Rate.

Hampshire currently hold down third place, behind Surrey on NRR, but they could find themselves on the outside looking in if they lose at Tunbridge Wells. Gloucestershire must beat struggling Glamorgan to give themselves a chance of a final-four spot ahead of a season-closing home clash with Kent, who could be through already by then.

'.$sign_up['title'].'

'; } } ?>