Super Sunday at Emirates Durham ICG (From Durham Times)

Super Sunday at Emirates Durham ICG

8:00am Friday 6th July 2012 in Sport By Tim Wellock

DURHAM'S home match against Lancashire on Sunday, in the final group game of the Friends Life t20 tournament, is shaping up to be a decider for a quarter-final place.

Victory for Durham at Grace Road this evening in the return match against Leicestershire would help, but if the weather forecast is accurate they will be lucky to get on the field.

After losing more time than any other division one club in the first half of the championship programme, Durham's eight Twenty20 matches to date have been uninterrupted.

Finishing as one of the two best third-placed teams in the three groups will earn Durham an away tie and they should scrape through if they avenge their heavy defeat at Old Trafford.

If this evening's match does go ahead, Leicestershire coach Phil Whitticase has vowed that his side will put up a better show than in their drubbing at Emirates Durham last Sunday.

While Abdul Razzak batted for all but three balls of Leicestershire's turgid innings to make 47, Phil Mustard hit a 29-ball half-century as Durham won by nine wickets with 6.4 overs to spare.

Whitticase said: "We were dreadful - it was embarrassing. The pitch changed slightly but the bowlers were always going to struggle to defend a total of 114.

"Graham Onions bowled a brilliant spell up front when it was doing a bit, but we never competed. We'll try to put it right when Durham visit us."

On Durham's visit to Grace Road last year Leicestershire had reached 58 for one after five overs, with Josh Cobb making 54 of those, when rain prevented any further play.

They also came under fire from Cobb in the CB 40 match on the same ground, when he made 87.

*Alan Richardson is ready to return to spearhead Worcestershire's County Championship relegation battle when Durham visit New Road next week.

One of Wisden's five cricketers of the year last season, the veteran seamer has recovered from a shoulder injury which has sidelined him for seven weeks.

He made his comeback last week by bowling 26 overs in a Second XI Championship match against Yorkshire at Barnsley.

Richardson took 73 championship wickets last season, and had 26 wickets in five matches this year before being injured.