SUPERB bowling by Graeme Bridge transformed the game at Derby yesterday and allowed Durham to record their third successive National League win.

Chasing Durham's 216 for seven, Derbyshire were cruising at 113 for one in the 20th over when danger man Michael di Venuto fell to a fumbled stumping for 63.

Finding useful turn on the used pitch, Bridge also took the next three wickets as Derbyshire slipped to 123 for five.

That became 150 for eight before left-handers Steve Stubbings and Kevin Dean put on 43 in six overs to threaten a twist in the tail.

But Gary Pratt swooped from cover to run out Dean with a direct hit and Derbyshire needed 20 off the last three overs.

Only one came off Neil Killeen's next over as he bowled five dot balls to last man Lian Wharton, then seven came off Mark Davies before Killeen yorked Stubbings for 45 with the first ball of the last over to give Durham victory by 11 runs.

Following his competition-best four for 20 against Hampshire at Riverside last Sunday, Bridge finished with four for 39 after being driven for two lofted fours and a straight six in his first two overs.

Paul Collingwood again underlined his immense value to the team as he followed scores of 45 and 48 in the previous two wins with a 42-ball half-century.

Durham moved above their hosts into sixth place and are only two points behind Nottinghamshire, who lost by 212 runs to Durham's next opponents, Northamptonshire.

Durham were helped by being put in as the Derbyshire batsmen had the worst of the conditions with both the pitch and the light, which was poor by 6pm.

It was about that time that Durham brought back Stephen Harmison, who had conceded 21 runs in his first three overs.

Chris Bassano tucked him away through mid-wicket for four to reach 50, but when Harmison went round the wicket for the next ball the Tasmanian tried to turn to leg off the back foot and the ball flew off the shoulder of the bat to short third man.

That effectively scuppered Derbyshire's hopes, which had been sky high when Bassano was putting on 97 in 18 overs for the second wicket with his fellow Tasmanian.

Di Venuto has scored 150 and 143 against Durham in the two championship clashes this season and was quickly driving boundaries yesterday as Durham tended to over-pitch.

Although Dominic Cork sliced a drive to backward point in the second over, Derbyshire had 45 on the board by the time Harmison was brought on for the eighth over and he was unable to stem the flow.

He posted a short cover for Di Venuto, who punched a back-foot shot just short of Ashley Thorpe on 49 and completed his 47-ball half-century off the next ball.

With no man back, he lofted Bridge's fifth and sixth balls for straight fours, and in the spinner's next over Bassano smashed a straight six.

But on 63 Di Venuto ventured down the pitch unnecessarily and the ball rebounded off Phil Mustard on to the stumps.

Bridge bowled his other three victims, two by turning the ball past forward defensive strokes and one thanks to Rawait Khan's badly-executed sweep.

Once Bassano had gone, the match was prolonged only by the rarely-seen Stubbings, who gave Harmison some more punishment.

Durham's 216 was their second highest National League total this season after their 267 at The Grange against Scotland.

The third highest was the 215 for three they made at Taunton to win the first game of the season, when Gary Pratt made a 78-ball century.

On the strength of that and several other good knocks it continues to be a mystery why Pratt should bat as low as No 5.

He got to the crease in the 39th over yesterday when Thorpe holed out at wide long-on after taking 54 balls to score 34.

Coming in during the 20th over after an opening stand of 84, Thorpe faced too many dot balls, which would have been excusable had he pressed on in the last few overs.

But his exit was swiftly followed by that of Collingwood and Durham took only 29 runs off the last five overs, which included six extras and an edged four off Cork.

Cork still took three for 28 in his nine overs after deciding to continue as captain, despite not being reappointed by the committee.

Derbyshire have sacked coach Adrian Pierson and appointed a Director of Cricket in former Zimbabwe captain David Houghton, who is said to be lining up Heath Streak as next season's skipper.

With Nicky Peng suffering from flu, Durham tried a new partnership of Martin Love and Gordon Muchall and they put together the biggest opening stand of the season in this competition.

Love was the dominant force, making 48 off 46 balls, which included a pulled six off Graeme Welch, before Cork snared him in his fourth over.

Love was looking to turn him to leg when a leading edge flow back to Cork, who took a good low catch.

Thorpe could have been out first ball, when he took a very risky single to cover and would have been out by two yards had the shy at the non-striker's end hit the stumps.

The scoring rate fell and Muchall was out six overs later for 39, made off 91 balls, when he fished wide of off stump to be caught behind off Cork.

The introduction of spinners Lian Wharton and Nathan Dumelow helped Collingwood and Thorpe to get the score moving again, with the England man making 45 out of their stand of 74 in 13 overs.

Collingwood was on eight when he pulled Wharton out of the ground for a huge six. In complete contrast he then went for another big hit in the same direction and the ball lobbed only a few yards into safety.

That was his only false stroke and he went past Thorpe when he lifted Dumelow wide of mid-on for one of his seven fours to reach 37.

For the next over Derbyshire brought back the gentle medium pace of New Zealander Chris Harris, who has joined them for the rest of the season as a replacement for Mohammed Kaif.

Thorpe hit his second ball straight to Kevin Dean, who was all but touching the boundary rope as he held the catch.

Another four to long-on off Welch took Collingwood to his 50 off 42 balls, but he fell to the first ball of Cork's second spell in the 42nd over.

Collingwood was well forward working to leg, but the ball seemed to scuttle on to him a little faster than he expected and he was lbw.

Mustard, promoted above Jon Lewis, was greeted by a bouncer from Cork, who followed through to eyeball him, presumably recalling his unbeaten 70 in the championship clash at Derby.

Mustard was run out two overs later for four and in the final over Pratt drove to mid-off, having contributed a useful 20, and Bridge pulled a four before skying the last ball to mid-on.

Read more about Durham here.