Durham went to the top of the Norwich Union League division two as they heaped more embarrassment on Lancashire with a 24-run win at Chester-le-Street.

Durham plundered 49 off their last five overs to reach 211 for six, but when Lancashire needed 48 off their last five they were restricted by Michael Gough and Paul Collingwood.

Excellent bowling by Nicky Phillips reduced Lancashire from 83 for no wicket to 103 for four, and they limped along to close on 187 for eight.

For the second successive Sunday the off breaks of Phillips (4-21) and Gough (2-27) proved decisive.

Gough was also involved at the end of the Durham innings, sharing an unbroken stand of 48 with Andrew Pratt, who hit 25 off 13 balls and then claimed two excellent stumpings.

Phillips even upstaged Muttiah Muralitharan, who was hit for ten in his first over by Danny Law but finished with two for 24 in nine overs. Law, opening for Durham for the first time, was bowled round his legs for 45 and Collingwood, the England one-day squad newcomer, was stumped for 23.

Law was outpaced by 18-year-old Nicky Peng, who was three short of his first one-day 50 when he pulled a Chris Schofield long hop to mid-wicket.

Lancashire also employed a pinch-hitting opener in Glen Chapple and he completed a maiden one-day half century off 41 balls, contributing 52 to a stand of 83 with Mike Atherton before he went down the pitch and was stumped in Phillips' first over.

Atherton made 62 off 124 balls before he was stumped in the 36th over as Durham turned up the pressure.

© CricInfo