Mixed team news for Steelbacks as they prepare for Vitality T20 Blast opener at Durham

Northants Steelbacks will be without three key players when they take on Durham Jets in their opening Vitality T20 Blast clash of the summer on Friday night.
Dwaine Pretorious is set to make his Northants Steelbacks debut in Friday night's Vitality T20 Blast match at Durham JetsDwaine Pretorious is set to make his Northants Steelbacks debut in Friday night's Vitality T20 Blast match at Durham Jets
Dwaine Pretorious is set to make his Northants Steelbacks debut in Friday night's Vitality T20 Blast match at Durham Jets

But they have been boosted by the arrival of overseas pair Faheem Ashraf and Dwaine Pretorious.

David Ripley's men travel to Chester-le-Street to begin the group stage, but they will be without injured trio Ricardo Vasconcelos, Richard Levi and Brett Hutton.

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Pakistan international Ashraf and South African Pretorious are included in the 14-man squad, that also includes Alex Wakely, who sat out the past two Specsaver County Championship matches.

Josh Cobb will captain the team after taking over the role from Wakely, while also in the squad are Graeme White, Charlie Thurston, Tom Sole and loan man Matt Coles.

There will be some special guests at Chester-le-Street, with England World Cup winners and Durham stars Ben Stokes and Mark Wood both in attendance - as well as the World Cup trophy itself.

England fielding coach and former Durham cricketer Paul Collingwood will also be at the game.

Steelbacks squad: Ashraf, Buck, Cobb, Coles, Curran, Keogh, Pretorious, Procter, Rossington, Sanderson, Sole, Thurston, Wakely, White.