Big-hitter Pietersen denies Dynamos

The 23-year-old South African, who has an English mother and qualifies to play for England at the end of next summer, thrashed 72 off 57 balls as the Outlaws won by four wickets

Pietersen became the first batsman to clear the 80ft Don Robson Pavilion, lifting Graeme Bridge's left-arm spin for one of three sixes in an over which cost 24.

Replying to Durham's 199 all out, Nottinghamshire had slithered to 56 for five when Pietersen, after a quiet start, decided to open his shoulders and ruin Durham's bid for a National League double.

Even Shoaib Akhtar wasn't spared as Chris Read contributed three to a stand of 59 in seven overs, but it was the Pakistani who put an end to the mayhem. Pietersen cut him fiercely to backward point, where Gary Pratt clung on brilliantly to leave the game back in the balance at 115 for six.

But Durham kept two of Shoaib's overs in reserve and, with no need to hurry, Read and Paul Franks benefited from a few edges as they calmly picked off the runs.

Bridge returned to bowl very tidily, and the extraordinary thing about Pietersen's onslaught was that Nicky Peng was the only other batsman to play with any fluency on the same sluggish pitch used in Sunday's defeat by Somerset.

This did not look like being Durham's day when the injury jinx returned and they suffered two casualties in the first five overs.

Peng aggravated a knee injury and had to send for a runner then a nasty lifter from Franks struck Vince Wells on the left wrist and flew to gully. Not realising he had been given out, Wells hung around because he was in pain and neither he nor Peng were initially able to field. Wells went on later with his wrist heavily strapped because Durham needed him to bowl.

Durham's batting was almost an action replay of Sunday's effort and the only reason they got 12 more runs was that they were helped by 27 extras, including 14 wides..

They again chose to bat and suffered the early loss of Wells, the highest stand was again for the second wicket, and the top score, this time by Peng, was again 42.

On Sunday they were all out for 187 with four balls unused, this time there were 11 balls left when last man Stephen Harmison was bowled for a duck by Franks.

Too many batsmen got out carelessly when it needed someone to build a lengthy innings with a view to using up the overs and achieving a total of around 230.

That should have been the least of their ambitions when they got to 76 for one in the 14th over with Peng striking the ball well, despite being hampered in his footwork.

But he followed a pick-up for six and a pull for four by chipping Gareth Clough to mid-wicket to end his run-a-ball innings.

After also seeing Gordon Muchall and Pratt depart, it was disappointing that Love drove a low return catch to make it 117 for five. He played a couple of imperious strokes, but did not look at his best in making 32 off 56 balls.

Phil Mustard struck a six and four in racing to 16, but like Pratt he became over-ambitious against leg-spinner Stuart MacGill. Other than running out Bridge, skipper Jon Lewis played the right sort of innings but probably needs to do it from higher than No 6.

He put on a useful 34 with Shoaib for the eighth wicket before being yorked by Chris Cairns, then Shoaib suffered a similar fate against Franks as the last three wickets went down for six runs.

l Durham have confirmed that Shoaib Akhtar will return to Pakistan for the first two Tests against Bangladesh. He will play in the championship match at Cardiff starting next Wednesday then miss the home match against Hampshire. He is expected back to play at Northampton on September 3.

l Durham's Liam Plunkett is out of the second U19 Test against South Africa, starting at Worcester on Monday, with a hamstring injury. After taking three wickets and scoring 42 not out in the first innings at Headingley, he was able to bowl only three overs in the second innings, which helped South Africa to ease to a four-wicket win

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