ONE-DAY specialist Neil Killeen recorded the superb figures of four for seven to end Durham's run of Twenty20 Cup defeats at Grace Road last night.

Killeen sensationally grabbed the first four wickets for three runs in his opening two overs to leave Leicestershire on the rocks in their pursuit of what looked a modest target.

They had little chance of recovering from 11 for four and after scrambling to 35 for five after ten overs they had to take liberties against Gareth Breese, who also picked up four wickets.

Leicestershire, whose only previous defeat in the competition was in last season's semi-final, needed a last-wicket stand of 40 to close on 97 for nine.

They lost by 41 runs after Durham's innings was impressively revived by skipper Jon Lewis and Gordon Muchall, who shared an unbroken stand of 80 in 11 overs to take their side to 138 for four.

Killeen had Durham's best figures in the competition last season, when he took four for 32 at Derby, but this time he produced the most remarkable figures the fledgling competition has seen.

There was also a good spell from Graham Onions, whose four overs cost only 17, but the glory went to Killeen.

Darren Maddy drove at his first ball and was bowled, then Jon Sadler lofted a catch to extra cover, Brad Hodge pulled to mid-wicket and Paul Nixon cut to point.

Durham had lost all five of their Twenty20 matches since winning the first one last season, but after this victory they can approach their three home games with renewed confidence.

They will not be able to call on Paul Collingwood, however, for tomorrow's Riverside sell-out against Lancashire.

Following England's failure to reach the NatWest Series final, it was hoped Collingwood would be available, but he said: "I've been carrying a knee injury since Durham's four-day game against Yorkshire.

"The bone is bruised and it's a classic case of fluid on the knee. I've been told to take a few days' rest, but I might be fit to play in the totesport match against Yorkshire on Sunday."

Durham chose to bat and without injured duo Nicky Peng and Marcus North things looked ominous when their best recent one-day batsman, Gary Pratt, was out first ball.

Breese, batting at three, struggled for five overs to make eight and when he holed out at long-off from the last ball of the ninth over Durham were in trouble at 58 for four.

But with no batting of note to come, Lewis and Muchall played sensibly and accelerated late in the innings, with Muchall taking 18 off the 18th over.

It was bowled by former Durham player Brad Hodge, who gambled in his new role as captain by giving his own spin bowling an airing after Claude Henderson and Jeremy Snape had strangled the middle of the Durham innings.

The first six overs they bowled together cost only 24 runs, with South African Henderson claiming Breese's wicket.

While Durham were able to sign Breese as an EU-qualified player because of his Welsh father, Leicestershire took advantage of the EU's trade agreement with South Africa to land Henderson.

Lewis drove Henderson's last ball over long-on for the only six of the innings and added three fours in his unbeaten 49 off 44 balls, while Muchall's 45 not out came off 37 balls.

He hit three of his four boundaries off Hodge in the 18th over to transform an innings which looked like falling well short of requirements.

In the absence of North, Durham sent in Phil Mustard to open with fellow wicketkeeper Andrew Pratt and he took three fours off the second over, bowled by Ottis Gibson.

With four leg byes also coming off the over, Durham had 21 on the board and they moved swiftly on to 29 before three wickets fell for five runs in eight balls.

Mustard tried to paddle Phil DeFreitas away behind square and was bowled behind his legs, then Andrew Pratt was run out by a direct hit from Snape at backward point.

Gary Pratt nibbled at the next ball, which was slanted across him by Jon Dakin, and edged to wicketkeeper Nixon.

Lewis and Muchall initially had to deal mainly in singles against the spinners, but once Lewis had hit his six off the last ball of the 15th over runs flowed more freely.

Killeen struck in the second over of the reply when he bowled Maddy, then took three wickets in his second over, all with the score on 11.

Darren Stevens and Snape tried to rebuild the innings, but the score had limped along to only 35 at the halfway stage when Snape was bowled by Mark Davies trying to make room to play through the off side. DeFreitas slogged a catch to Onions at deep mid-wicket off Breese, who then bowled Stevens for 21 as he came down the pitch.

Dakin was lbw first ball and when Henderson was stumped Breese had taken four wickets in nine balls to finish with four for 14.

Leicestershire were 59 for seven and facing the lowest total in the competition until Gibson and Mark Cleary at least saved them from that embarrassment