Scotland’s cricket selectors have named their team to play in the first match of the 2008 season - a friendly against Durham at the Riverside ground, Chester-le-Street, next Tuesday April 15.

Captain Ryan Watson is unavailable for this game, so former Northants and Yorkshire player John Blain takes over the captaincy reins for this fixture, following his nine wickets for Scotland against Namibia in the recent ICC Intercontinental Cup match against Namibia at Windhoek.

His squad includes a number of players who have not yet become regular members of the Scotland team, who now have a chance to demonstrate their credentials ahead of the first FPT game against Lancashire Lightning at the Citylets Grange on Sunday 27th April.

Scotland (v Durham, April 15): John Blain (captain, Rotherham); Dougie Brown (Barnt Green); Richie Berrington, Sean Weeraratna (both Greenock); Gordon Drummond (Watsonians); Gordon Goudie (Stoneywood-Dyce); Majid Haq, Omer Hussain (Ferguslie); Gregor Maiden, Simon Smith (Grange); Qasim Sheikh (Clydesdale).

The squad to play the final pre-season game against the MCC at Lord’s the following week (with the experimental pink ball) will be named after the Durham match.