The prospect of Stephen Harmison charging in with the new ball to Justin Langer evokes contrasting memories of the past two Ashes series, but this week the setting will be Taunton, for a crucial match in the first division of the LV County Championship.

Harmison returns today to boost Durham's hopes of winning their first title, having missed the past four matches as he returned to international cricket with success. He will be eager to add to the 43 wickets he has taken in nine championship matches this season.

Somerset, who are also hoping for their first title, are the team most likely to deny Durham. Both teams have three matches remaining - one more than Nottinghamshire, the leaders, who do not have a match this week - and Somerset are seven points ahead of Durham. “These games are as big as it comes in the championship,” Brian Rose, the Somerset director of cricket, said. “For ourselves and Durham, it will be like a mini Test match.”

Somerset are likely to be without Craig Kieswetter, the wicketkeeper-batsman, who injured an ankle playing football in the indoor nets at Trent Bridge last week. Carl Gazzard will play if Kieswetter has not recovered.

The weather could play a significant role, but Taunton has not been too badly affected. “Our groundsman has had a tough few weeks and the pitch is slightly damp, but the ground as a whole is OK,” Rose said.

However, bad weather has meant that Graeme Hick's final match at Worcester before his retirement at the end of the season was against Durham in the NatWest Pro40 last month. After last summer's costly floods, New Road has been swamped again, forcing Worcestershire to play their remaining home fixtures at Kidderminster.

The damage will cost only a fraction of the £1million bill incurred last year and the club's plans to develop New Road will not be affected. In the next two days they will announce proposals for a new pavilion that, after advice from the Environment Agency, will sit above flood lines.

“Although the ground is regularly flooded in winter, last year was, we thought, a once-in-a-generation occurrence and this is the first time since 1951 that the ground has been flooded in September,” Mark Newton, the chief executive, said.

Shoaib Akhtar will make his debut for Surrey against Hampshire at the Brit Oval today after overcoming problems with his visa.