Gloucestershire start their Benson and Hedges quarter-final against Durham as clear favourites and buoyed by the return of all-rounder Ian Harvey to their side.

The undisputed masters of domestic one-day cricket are seeking to retain the cup that they won as part of a one-day treble last season, but with several key players such as 'Jack' Russell and Mike Smith missing early-season games, and Harvey withdrawn from the Norwich Union League game against Yorkshire at the weekend, some members were worried that their side would go into the quarter-final with some inexperienced faces, but Bracewell was taking no chances.

"It was just a precautionary thing that Ian didn't play. He's just had a bit of a strain behind the knee," Bracewell explained. "But we will see how the pitch looks on the day before we pick the side, because it will depend on whether we want to bat or bowl.

Bracewell is taking nothing for granted despite his team's great performances in the last two-years.

"We played Durham earlier in the season," he said. "We had a good look at them and they had a good look at us. They are not going to be pushovers by any means and it is going to need a workmanlike performance."

Paul Collingwood would appear to be the key for the visitors. He has been in the runs consistently this season, and has often held the Durham batting together.

The other three games are on Wednesday: Somerset v Yorkshire; Sussex v Surrey and Nottinghamshire v Warwickshire.

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