TOM Kohler-Cadmore will urge his Yorkshire team-mates to play with a nothing to lose attitude in Friday’s Vitality Blast clash with Durham at Emerald Headingley.

The Vikings are bottom of the North Group and, with five games remaining, have a mountain to climb to reach the top four places for quarter-final qualification.

They have won only one game from nine, added to four defeats, a tie and three No Results.

It has been a disappointing campaign, albeit one which can be salvaged should they go on a perfect run during the next fortnight.

“We are completely backs against the wall,” said stand-in captain Kohler-Cadmore. “If we win our next five, we might sneak in.

“We have nothing to lose. Everyone’s written us off anyway, so we can go out there, express ourselves and hopefully get some results.

“If we do and get a bit of momentum, you never know.

“Right now, we need to focus on Friday and winning that game.”

The clash with a Durham side who are firmly in the hunt for a quarter-final berth having won four of nine - they host Worcestershire on Thursday - will start at 7pm and be televised.

Yorkshire have opted against bringing back West Indian wicketkeeper-batsman Nicholas Pooran, instead furthering the development of their own players.

So far, the only win came when the Vikings racked up 255-2 and defended it against Leicestershire at Grace Road last month.

Either side of that, it has been a frustrating story, most recently against Derbyshire at Headingley on Sunday when the visitors defended 208.

“Jack Leaning came in and played nicely and Jordan Thompson bowled his first two overs brilliantly,” assessed Kohler-Cadmore.

“Every game, we’ve had someone bowl or bat quite nicely, but we’re just not getting the results from it.

“We need to be performing well as a team. We need to all chip in.”

Pudsey St Lawrence all-rounder Thompson, 22, has encouraged in his six appearances.

He hit a superb half-century in the early defeat against Derbyshire at Chesterfield and has added four wickets with his seamers.

“Tommo’s learning as he goes along,” said Kohler-Cadmore.

“He’s shown over the competition with bat, ball and in the field that he’s such a talented cricketer. With more experiences, he’ll improve.

“He’s had games where he’s been outstanding and others that have brought him back down to earth a bit.

“The important thing for him is to learn when he’s doing well and where the danger is.

“His first two overs were brilliant against Derby, but the last ball of his second, instead of staying wide where he was, he went straighter and got hit for six.

“It’s important for those periods to go, ‘I’ve bowled a brilliant over here, I need to get out of it’.

“But, overall, he’s been really good and has shown the talent he’s got.”

With regular skipper Steve Patterson initially resting and then leaving himself out, Kohler-Cadmore has captained six times in this competition and is learning more about a job he would like to do in the future.

“I’d hope that I’ll have learnt from it,” he added.

“It’s been tough, and we’ve not had it our way.

“For me, it’s about speaking to Andrew Gale and the other coaches and the players about things we can do differently and things I can get better at.

“I know I’m not the finished article as a captain or player, so it’s about learning what works and what doesn’t, how to get the best out of different players.”

Durham will field Australian batting duo D’Arcy Short and former Yorkshire overseas Peter Handscomb.

Yorkshire squad: Gary Ballance, Dom Bess, Tim Bresnan, Will Fraine, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Jack Leaning, Adam Lyth, Keshav Maharaj, Mathew Pillans, Jack Shutt, Jonny Tattersall, Jordan Thompson, Matthew Waite, David Willey