DURHAM fell foul of the Loye, not the Law, as they followed Yorkshire in suffering a Twenty20 thrashing by Lancashire at Old Trafford yesterday.

It wasn't as brutal as the Tykes' drubbing as Durham lost by 37 runs, but that's still a big margin in this form of cricket.

While Stuart Law, who hit 101 in Friday's Roses clash, fell for a duck, former Northamptonshire batsman Mal Loye became the first batsman to score a Twenty20 century against Durham.

Once he had put on 160 in 14 overs with Australian Brad Hodge for the second wicket Durham had lost virtually all hope of qualifying for the quarter-finals and their previously excellent fielding in this competition began to fall apart.

Lancashire amassed 208 for four and eclipsed both the highest total and the best individual score against Durham in this competition.

The former was the 198 for four scored by Yorkshire at Headingley two years ago, while the latter record was the 73 made by Leicestershire's John Sadler at Riverside on Friday.

Lancashire chose to bat and Loye hit the first and last balls of the first over from Liam Plunkett for four, but Neil Killeen followed up with four dot balls followed by a wicket when Law went down the pitch and was stumped by Phil Mustard.

But that was the only joy for Durham as Hodge, their former team-mate, survived a dropped catch by Killeen on 36 off Gareth Breese to make 68.

Hodge is in his last ten days of cricket for Lancashire before teaming up with the Australian Ashes squad, but he has the chance to inflict more damage on Durham as the return Twenty20 match is on Wednesday, followed by the championship match at Riverside starting on Friday.

Loye took advantage of a short leg-side boundary to hit five of Lancashire's ten sixes and also stroked ten fours in scoring his 100 off 54 balls. He was superbly held by Dale Benkenstein, running back to take the catch over his shoulder at deep cover, off Nathan Astle in the 19th over.

Loye had eight fours and a six in scoring 40 of the first 50 runs and a swept four off Nathan Astle took him to 50 off 29 balls.

In the medium pacer's next over Loye drove and swept him for sixes, and the runs continued to flow as Callum Thorp bowled a no-ball and Hodge pulled the free-hit for four.

Hodge celebrated his escape on 36 by driving Breese for six, and when Benkenstein came on at 120 for one after 12 overs he twice saw full tosses smashed over the leg-side boundary for six by Loye.

Hodge completed his 50 with another six over long-on off Breese, but the off-spinner finally snared the Australian when he drove to Gary Pratt at mid-on in the 16th over.

Dominic Cork lashed a couple of fours before being caught by Gordon Muchall at deep mid-wicket to give Astle a second wicket, but there was no let-up as Stephen Crook got off the mark with a six off Breese.

He added 15 with Glen Chapple after Loye fell in the 19th over, and as anything over 180 was unknown territory for Durham it was never likely that they would get close to the target.

Nicky Peng drove the second ball from Cork through the covers for four and lifted the same bowler over long-on for a huge six in the third over.

But in the next over he skied a catch to mid-on off Jimmy Anderson for 20, then Mustard edged his first ball for four.

Two balls later he went down the pitch and hit Chapple over long-on for six, only to step back and carve a slower ball straight to cover.

That made it 49 for two in the fifth over, and although Astle and Muchall added 68 in nine overs Durham were falling behind the required rate by the time the New Zealander was out for 55.

Both batsmen were dropped by Stephen Crook before his brother Andrew held on to a sliced drive by Astle at third man.

Both Muchall and Benkenstein cleared the rope as 25 came off the next two overs, but the captain narrowly failed in going for another big hit off Hodge, being held right on the leg-side boundary by Loye for 11.

At 142 for four in the 16th over, Gary Pratt again found himself in an almost impossible situation and after some frantic scampering he was adjudged lbw to Cork after shuffling across his stumps in search of leg-side runs.

Muchall was run out for 45 in the 19th over when he was out of his ground at the non-striker's end looking for a run as Cork fielded a return drive from Breese, who was then yorked as Durham finished on 171 for seven.

Read more about Durham here.