Scotland off the mark at Durham's expense

At 44 for four in reply to 189 for seven, Scotland were sliding tamely to their eighth successive defeat. But Durham relaxed their grip and an unbeaten 78 by home skipper Colin Smith carried his side to a six-wicket win with nine balls to spare.

Durham needed a a fourth successive one-day win to stay in contention for promotion. But on this evidence they can forget it.

They were convinced they had run out Cedric English for 19 with the score on 99 for four, but he survived to contribute 53 to the unbroken stand of 146.

Durham gambled by including 21-year-old seamer Graham Onions rather than Ian Pattison or Graeme Bridge and it backfired badly.

Onions had previously bowled only 3.2 overs in the competition and it was while he was bowling his initial five-over spell in tandem with Gareth Breese that the winning stand became established.

Smith and English had put on 70 before Jon Lewis recalled Shoaib Akhtar in a forlorn attempt to break through and 46 were needed off seven overs when Onions was recalled for another costly over which he didn't need to bowl.

The Scots were able to pick off the remaining runs comfortably after that, with Shoaib powerless to do anything about it in his final two overs.

Heavy rain on Saturday followed by a noon shower yesterday delayed the start by half an hour, reducing the match to 41 overs a side.

But it was a mostly sunny afternoon, helping to create a sleepy atmosphere at the leafy ground, despite the hosts continuing to play their unwelcome blasts of music such as "Another One Bites The Dust" when Durham batsmen were out.

Scotland would be better advised to concentrate more on things like stewarding the sightscreens properly to stop people walking behind the bowler's arm.

The club atmosphere was heightened by the pitch, and it was a combination which persuaded Durham to make a cautious start after being put in.

Only 28 runs came off the first ten overs and that included ten off the seventh, when Marcus North drove Paul Hoffman straight and square for two fours.

Nicky Peng struggled to seven before he pushed forward to veteran left-arm seamer Asim Butt and had his off stump rattled.

Lewis survived a big lbw appeal first ball then Butt swung one away from North to have the left-hander caught behind for 17.

Suspicions about the pitch increased as a ball from Hoffman, who is little more than medium pace, took off from a length to rap Lewis on the gloves.

But while the captain dug in to ensure there was no collapse, Gary Pratt quickly middled the ball, although a risky single to point on one could have been fatal.

Durham were 41 for two after 15 overs, then Butt's eighth over proved one too many as Pratt cut and straight drove him for fours.

The brakes were off as 11 came off the over, followed by nine off the next from Craig Wright, with Pratt collecting two more boundaries.

Lewis was on 22 when he survived a sitter to Butt at mid-on and he contributed four more to the stand of 83 in 19 overs before Pratt was out.

He had made 48 off 56 balls when he drove at an in-swinger from Wright and was bowled.

Shoaib was sent in at five to boost the scoring rate, prompting the return to the attack of his fellow Pakistani Yasir Arafat.

But it was Lewis who was snared by the all-rounder, hit on the boot by a yorker to fall lbw for 34.

With the ball not coming on to the bat, Shoaib had followed an opening boundary by collecting a series of singles.

But he drove Wright for a straight six off the last ball of the 35th over, only to be run out for 26 in the next over.

He was sent back at the non-striker's end when Gordon Muchall drove straight to mid-off, but was unable to beat the direct hit.

Breese again showed his value at the tail of an innings with a sprightly 15 and Muchall also kept the score moving with his unbeaten 27.

Shoaib struck in the first over of the reply, banging one in after Fraser Watts drove him for three to have Butt caught first ball at point off the shoulder of the bat.

The more disconcerting bounce had been from the pavilion end and after two overs Shoaib switched to bowl there.

But he needed no assistance from the pitch as Watts sliced a catch to backward point.

Ryan Watson called Sridharan Sriram for a leg bye to short third man, but the Indian declined and Watson was unable to get back.

Sriram played a few nice strokes in reaching 26, but then skied an attempted pull off Mark Davies to Muchall at mid-wicket.

It looked all over for the Scots, and Durham seemed to think so too.

By the time they woke up to the fact that the game was slipping away Smith and English were too well entrenched to be shifted.

Read more about Durham County Cricket Club here.