AUSTRALIAN all-rounder Ian Harvey will make a surprise appearance for Yorkshire Phoenix in their all-important final totesport League match of the season against Durham at Scarborough tomorrow.

Harvey contacted Yorkshire's director of cricket David Byas yesterday to say that Australia had temporarily released him from their ICC Champions Trophy squad in order to play in the game.

"I was absolutely delighted to hear the news and also very pleased that Ian himself wanted to play in this big match," said Byas.

"It just shows how much further forward Australia are in their thinking than England who have not offered to release any of their squad," he added.

With the weather set fair, the match is expected to draw a bumper crowd to North Marine Road because the side which wins the game will move into the third promotion place.

They will only be promoted, however, if Nottinghamshire Outlaws lose to Somerset Sabres in the final game of the campaign at Taunton on Wednesday.

Tomorrow's losers will finish up in sixth place which means that they will have a home tie against ninth-placed Derbyshire in the second round of next season's Cheltenham and Gloucester Trophy.

Yorkshire Phoenix from: Wood, Jaques, Harvey, Sayers, Pyrah, Lumb, Dawood, Dawson, Gray, Bresnan, Lawson, Kirby, Hoggard.

Durham Dynamos from: Lewis, Peng, Muchall, G Pratt, North, Breese, Hamilton, Onions, Mustard, Bridge, Plunkett, Killeen.

Updated: 10:10 Saturday, September 04, 2004