Durham drawn with Yorkshire

Oct 15 2008 by Stuart Rayner, The Journal

THE 50-over Friends Provident Trophy has abandoned its regional structure, but there will still be a familiar opponent for Durham after they were drawn with Yorkshire in Group C of the competition.

The local rivals met six times in competitive cricket last season, all before the end of June. It would have been seven had it not been for the controversy surrounding the ineligible Yorkshire spinner Azeem Rafiq which caused their Twenty20 Cup quarter-final to be shelved.

This year the sides will play a minimum of eight times thanks to the Tykes’ promotion to Division One of the Pro40 League.

The other three clubs in Group C are all from the south, meaning lengthy trips to Surrey, Gloucestershire and Sussex.

FRIENDS PROVIDENT TROPHY DRAW – Group A: Ireland, Hampshire, Nottinghamshire, Worcestershire, Leicestershire; Group B: Scotland, Warwickshire, Kent, Somerset, Middlesex; Group C: Surrey, DURHAM, Gloucestershire, Yorkshire, Sussex; Group D: Essex, Glamorgan, Lancashire, Derbyshire, Northamptonshire.