Nottinghamshire travel to Chester-le-Street for their penultimate LV=County Championship match of the season to face top of the table Durham.

Notts go into the fixture twelve points clear of Derbyshire in the relegation zone having played one game fewer than their local rivals. 

Director of Cricket Mick Newell was under no illusion of the task at hand as Notts will look to secure their Division One Status.

“It’s not going to be easy,” he said.

“We will, of course, be looking for a positive result and it’s a results pitch. 

“If the weather holds out there’s every chance of there being a result in this match.”

Durham have strode to the summit of the Division One table largely thanks to an impressive bowling pack, but the fixture between the two sides at Trent Bridge earlier in the season saw an impressive display with the bat dismantle the Notts attack.

“We’re going to have to bowl very well,” said Newell.

“Their ability to take twenty wickets is what has propelled them up the table, and that’s what will win them the championship.

“We have bowlers in good form, Andre is bowling nicely, as is Fletcher and Gurney.

“Every player is going to have to get stuck in, do well with the bat and ball, and really fight to win this match." 

Notts face five days of intensive cricket this week, the contest in Durham followed by a swift journey down to Lord’s for the final of this summer’s Yorkshire Bank 40. Newell was quick to note that the Durham match should be the only thing in the minds of his players this week.

“We need to be focused this week,” he said.

“This match has to be our priority, and all that we’re thinking about.

“We’ll be boosted by the likes of Stuart Broad and Graeme Swann alongside us for training, but the biggest priority has to be securing points and staying in Division One.”

Nottinghamshire have come to an agreement with Durham and have negotiated a 10.15 start time for all four days of the fixture, as well as finishing an hour early on Friday to allow the squad to travel south to Lord's ahead of the YB40 final.

Nottinghamshire squad to face Durham (from): Andre Adams, Jake Ball, Luke Fletcher, Paul Franks, Harry Gurney, Alex Hales, David Hussey, Michael Lumb, Steven Mullaney, Samit Patel, Chris Read (c), Ajmal Shahzad, James Taylor, Riki Wessels.