Blast Preview: Durham v Bears

Hain: "I want to score a T20 hundred and I still want to play for England"

The Bears were back on the road, a rather long road, as their hectic Vitality Blast schedule takes them to Chester-le-Street to face Durham on Sunday afternoon (2.30pm).

It has been a physically taxing start to the tournament for the Bears, with hundreds of motorway miles, but they have handled it brilliantly with four successive away wins taking them top of the North Group.

That fine effort continues their excellent start to the season - the Bears also sit top of Group 1 in the LV= Insurance County Championship.

Next up in both competitions come Durham. They visit Edgbaston for a championship game on July 4, but before then the buoyant Bears face five more Blast games - at The Riverside tomorrow then at home to Derbyshire Falcons (next Thursday), Durham (next Saturday) and then Yorkshire Vikings and Notts Outlaws on Wednesday and Friday the following week.

Tomorrow's contest will present a tough test for Will Rhodes's side. After the washout at home to Lancashire Lightning last night, they remain top with nine points from six games, but Durham are one of three teams close behind with seven points from five. The northern county has maintained a strong start despite a number of players having to self-isolate after a member of the support staff tested positive for COVID-19.

The Bears welcome Adam Hose back into the squad following a hamstring injury. Henry Brookes (thigh) and Rob Yates (illness) remain sidelined while Chris Woakes has left to join the England camp ahead of the IT20 series against Sri Lanka starting in Cardiff on Wednesday. Olly Stone is unavailable due to a stress fracture of the lower back.

Jake Lintott is required to serve a period of isolation after developing COVID symptoms at home yesterday and subsequently recording a positive test today.

Lintott did not join the squad at Edgbaston yesterday for the rained-affected Blast fixture versus Lancashire Lightning. No members of the Bears squad have been in contact with Lintott since the development of the symptoms, with a regular testing process covering all players.

Squad

Will Rhodes (C), Carlos Brathwaite, Jacob Bethell, Tim Bresnan, Danny Briggs, Michael Burgess, Sam Hain, Olly Hannon-Dalby, Adam Hose, Pieter Malan, Craig Miles, Dan Mousley, Ed Pollock

How to follow

Warwickshire Members and supporters will be able to follow all the action via the Match Centre on edgbaston.com and through the Edgbaston app (available for free on iOS and Android).