Durham's Second XI take on Leicestershire in a one-day game at Park Drive, in the group stage of the Second XI Trophy – the reserves equivalent of the Friend's Provident Trophy (Start 11am).

The relatively experienced Second XI side have been in good form this season, easily despatching of Leicestershire in the Second XI Championship earlier in the campaign and winning their first Trophy group game.

That success has been mirrored at first team level.

Durham take on Kent Spitfires in the semi-final of the Friend's Provident Trophy on Friday – the tournament they won last year – before a Twenty20 Cup quarter final against Yorkshire Carnegie on Monday.

Second XI coach and former Durham batsman John Lewis is confident ahead of tomorrow's 50 over match and is looking forward to returning to the picturesque surroundings of Park Drive.

Lewis said: "We have not been to Hartlepool for a year or two. We had a game against Yorkshire there a few years back and got bowled out for less than 30 and have not been back since!

"We used to play first class games there quite a lot, but we don't move outside the Riverside so often nowadays.

"It is a decent club and the pitch has improved a lot in recent years. It is a small ground so it should make for a high scoring game."

He added: "Winning is a habit that is spreading throughout the club, from the academy upwards.

"It starts with the first team and everyone wants to be part of it at the moment."

Durham's Second XI is far from being composed of youngsters and has-beens, with the likes of Graham Onions, Neil Killeen and Kyle Coetzer all expected to play their part tomorrow.

Lewis admits competition is fierce at the club, especially after the arrival of South African pair Shaun Pollock and Albie Morkel.

"We have got a very strong squad and have been very successful which is credit to the players that are maintaining their high standards even though they want to play first class cricket," said Lewis.

"There is quite a lot of experience in the first team at the moment with guys like Pollock and Morkel, which means a couple of the guys miss out.

"The squad's strength is as good as anyone's in the country and we could even put out a decent third XI.

"In a way it is down to luck whether they can get in the first XI, as they need to be hitting form at the same time that someone gets injured or goes away for international duty.

"It is going to be hard to keep all the players happy because these guys want to play first team cricket."