DURHAM face a big dilemma this morning in deciding whether to gamble on the fitness of Graham Onions and Mark Wood for the championship match at Headingley.

Unlike last year’s clash at Scarborough it doesn’t quite live up the billing of title decider, although it could well make or break Durham’s season.

If they lose they will be too far adrift to contemplate retaining their title; if they win they will be within striking distance of their hosts with a game in hand.

Coach Jon Lewis is wary of pitching Onions into a high-profile match after one second team outing since suffering his injury at Hove two months ago.

“As it’s his back, and bearing in mind the surgery he had, we have to be careful,” said Lewis. “He came through last week’s second team game at Middlesbrough without any ill effects, but this would be a big step up.

“Mark is less of a risk after his ankle injury, but he hasn’t had much bowling.

We will decide in the morning whether either or both of them play.

“This game won’t decide the title because there’s still a long way to go, but they are always big games against Yorkshire.”

After two successive victories Durham hope to go on the sort of five-game winning streak which took them clear last season. The sevenwicket Scarborough triumph was the second of those after they had gone into the match in second place behind Yorkshire.

Ben Stokes was man of the match and has also played a vital role in the last two games. But now he has joined Yorkshire’s Joe Root, Gary Ballance and Liam Plunkett in the England squad.

Before the season began Usman Arshad was seen as the likely replacement for Stokes, but there are doubts about his fitness for four-day cricket and he is not in the squad.

Durham would like Wood to take Stokes’ place, chiefly to offer some explosive bowling and also a few runs. He has shown glimpses of being at least a useful No 9, although he hasn’t made a serious contribution since his unbeaten 58 in his first appearance last season at Trent Bridge.

If Onions also returns it will be at the expense of Paul Coughlin, who has made a very promising start to his championship career.

Left-arm spinner Max Morley is also in the squad, but as Yorkshire have included only Adil Rashid the pitch will not be anything like the dry turner for last Wednesday’s Twenty20 match.

Durham are 29 points behind Yorkshire with a game in hand and they have two in hand over Nottinghamshire, who are a further eight ahead.

As the leaders showed in losing to Warwickshire last week, their attacking style continues to leave them vulnerable.

They have now lost the man signed to shore up their batting, Phil Jaques, and Peter Siddle will also return to Australia shortly.