Andrew Strauss hoping for runs as Middlesex take on Durham at Lord's

Andrew Strauss will doubtless enjoy the irony of making his first appearance of the season at Lord's on Thursday in a Middlesex team who will be under new leadership after their captain stood down because of concerns over his batting form. Neil Dexter, who played a key role with the ball in the dramatic victory over Surrey secured by Middlesex last weekend, has decided that he needs to concentrate on his batting after making 15 runs from four innings in the County Championship. Chris Rogers, an experienced Australian who is in his second season with the club, will take over the captaincy against Durham despite the availability of Strauss for the next three Championship games as the England captain aims to gain some form and confidence ahead of the three-Test series against West Indies which begins at Lord's in four weeks. Strauss was reflecting only this week on the speculation over his own position after a lean winter that reached a climax before the second Test against Sri Lanka. The half century he scored in the first innings of that match has eased some of the pressure, and Strauss told Mike Atherton: "As a captain you want to feel that you are one of the first names on the teamsheet, so that has been very frustrating. But I was so determined, and feel very determined to take the team further." Middlesex also include Steven Finn, who has been made available to play in two Championship matches by the England selectors. Durham have Paul Collingwood back in their squad after missing their opening defeat by Nottinghamshire with a virus, but there is no place for the former England bowlers Steve Harmison and Liam Plunkett, who are again kept out of the side by the seam trio of Callum Thorp, Mitchell Claydon and Graham Onions – who has the perfect chance to make an early-season point to Strauss. Ian Bell, who had an even worse winter with the bat than his Test captain, jumped at the chance to make an early return for Warwickshire in Liverpool against the Lancashire team who pipped the Bears to the Championship last September. "I don't feel tired, so I want to go out there and play," Bell told the Cricketer. "I would rather get an opportunity to play than net. There is only so much you can do in a net." Samit Patel and Ravi Bopara, who are thought to be battling for the No6 position in the West Indies series, are also in action. Patel will make his second consecutive appearance for Notts, the early pacesetters in Division One, against Somerset at Trent Bridge after a double failure in their win at Durham, and Bopara links up with Essex for their Division Two match at Headingley against a Yorkshire team boosted by the arrival of the Australian opener Phil Jaques.