Durham, relegated to the County Championship Plate competition, will benefit from two home matches in the coming season.
In Pool One, Durham start off at home to Notts, Lincs and Derbyshire in the end-of-season event on May 2.
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Why Cats are keeping quiet on Kenwyne - PODCASTThey also visit Staffordshire on May 9 before hosting East Midlands on the 16th. The group winners will reach the May 23 semi-finals.
Durham, coached by Ali McConway and Magnus Leask last season, were demoted after a last-match 21-20 defeat to Cumbria at Darlington – with relegation the disappointing outcome after the loss of almost two-thirds of the previous season's squad.
Northumberland, who won the County Championship Shield at Twickenham last season, will compete for the main Bill Beaumont Cup in 2009.
They start at holders Yorkshire before entertaining Warwickshire and finishing off away to Lancashire.
The full article contains 156 words and appears in Sunderland Echo newspaper.
