Durham Dynamos v Kent Spitfires

Influential Spitfires' seam bowler Simon Cook has been passed fit and included in Kent's 13-man squad for Friday's televised Friends Provident Trophy semi-final tie with holders Durham at the Riverside.

Rob Key's side, fresh from a confidence boosting championship win over Surrey on Wednesday, left for the north-east directly after their victory at The Brit Oval with Cook, Matt Walker and Azhar Mahmood added to 10 of the squad on show in Kennington.

Cook passed a fitness test on a bruised shoulder, the legacy of a stinging Abdul Razzaq drive during a Twenty20 tie at St Lawrence, and looks set to start at the expense of Martin Saggers, who is the sole player left out of the squad on duty in Kennington this week.

Should Kent win in Chester-le-Street they will qualify for their first Lord's final appearance since 1997, but they will have to defeat an immensely strong Dynamos side if they are to achieve their day in the St John's Wood sun on Sunday, August 16.

Looking ahead to Friday's semi-final showdown that starts from noon, Kent's director of cricket Graham Ford said: "It's a huge game but we're certainly not the favourites going into it.

"When you look at their line up it is like reading down a World select XI, the list of high quality cricketers just goes on, so it's going to be a huge challenge for us but one the guys are quietly looking forward to.

"You never know how good you are as a side until you take on the team who are rated as the top-dogs.

"If this game were played on paper Durham look almost unbeatable in terms of who they have to pick from, but cricket's a strange game and it isn't played on paper.

"I've been very pleased with a lot of our one-day cricket this summer, so hopefully the boys can give it a massive crack and produce something special in Durham."

The Dynamos, however, look set to be without England batsman and one-day skipper Paul Collingwood, who has been refused permission to play in the game by Test coach Peter Moores.

The hosts, who lost three of their first four Trophy qualifiers, still possess a powerful side though and look set to include the likes of Shaun Pollock, Steve Harmison, Liam Plunkett, Graham Onions, Aussie-raised Callum Thorp and South African Albie Morkel, brother of former Kent paceman, Morne, in their excellent seam attack.

Aussie Left-hander Michael Di Venuto and skipper Dale Benkenstein lead their batting ranks and will be the players Kent will want to see the back of quickest.

4,500 tickets have been sold in advance for the tie, but with a capacity of 15,000, there will be plenty of space for any Spitfires' fans making the trip. Tickets on the day will be £15 for adults and £6 juniors.

Kent from: Key, Denly, van Jaarsveld, Kemp, Stevens, Jones, Mahmood, Arafat, McLaren, Tredwell, Joseph, Walker, Cook.