Stephen Harmison will return to action tomorrow, only three weeks after a hernia operation.

The England fast bowler will captain Durham in a three-day match against Sri Lanka A at the Riverside Stadium as he begins his build up to the Friends Provident Trophy final on Saturday week.

Durham also have a four-day match against Surrey, starting on Monday in Chester-le-Street, and Harmison hopes to play in that.

“He’s desperate to play in the final and it has given him a big incentive to get fit,” Geoff Cook, the Durham coach, said. “He has worked very diligently to the programme prepared for him by the medical people. The surgery wasn’t too invasive, but he has done really well to get back so quickly.

“He will bowl a bit against Sri Lanka and hopefully get some serious overs in against Surrey.”

After Harmison’s injury came to light during the final Test against West Indies it was hoped that an operation could be postponed until the end of the season.

However, after bowling superbly for Durham against Surrey at the Oval early last month he broke down in the next match against Sussex at Horsham. He was named in the squad for the first Test against India but underwent surgery two days later.

Durham face Hampshire in the Friends Provident Trophy final at Lord’s and Cook said: “Hopefully Paul Collingwood will come safely through this week’s Test match and Steve will prove his fitness. Having players like Liam Plunkett and Ottis Gibson gives us plenty of options, so we have a pretty good idea of what our team will be.

“The biggest decision will be over the last batsman, with Gordon Muchall, Kyle Coetzer, Will Smith, Ben Harmison and Garry Park battling for a place.”

Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Durham’s new signing, is available even though he has not played in any of the earlier matches. He will join Collingwood, Michael Di Venuto, Phil Mustard and Dale Benkenstein, the captain, in a powerful top five.

Cook, who has been with the county since the year before they began first-class life in 1992, is delighted that they have reached their first Lord’s final.

“It’s wonderful for those people who put in so much hard work in the early years,” he said. “People don’t realise the passion they had for this project and the unselfish work they did. I’m as pleased for them as for the players.”