SHOAIB Akhtar's Durham debut added to the carnival atmosphere at sunny Old Trafford last night, but his personal fun was spoilt by two balls.

The first was the final delivery of his four overs, which former Durham player John Wood pulled for six, and the second was the one ball he faced when sent in to bat at No 3.

He tried to avenge the blow by Wood and succeeded only in skying a catch to mid-wicket, leaving wicketkeeper Phil Mustard to lead the assault on Lancashire's modest 144 for eight.

Mustard hit eight fours and two sixes in making Durham's top Twenty20 score of 61 off 43 balls before he unnecessarily went down the pitch with the score on 93 for three in the 13th over.

He was stumped and despite an unbeaten 24 from skipper Jon Lewis Durham faded to finish on 140 for nine, losing by four runs to register four successive defeats after their opening win.

A work permit for the world's fastest bowler was secured in the afternoon and Shoaib was so keen to play in the final Twenty20 Cup game that Durham decided to let him off the leash, despite it being a dead match.

While commuter trains chugged in and out of Old Trafford station just behind the ground, the Rawalpindi Express roared in from the other end and conceded only seven runs off his first two overs, including an off-side wide.

On a worn pitch of no great pace, Shoaib never threatened to reach 100mph, but he was noticeably quicker than Liam Plunkett, who is no slouch.

Batsmen Mal Loye and Stuart Law took no early liberties with the Pakistani, who generally bowled just short of a length outside off stump.

He finished with one for 31 off his four overs, blotting his copybook with his last ball. He came back for the 19th over and gave away only four singles before choosing to come off a short run and sending down a final offering which was short and lacked pace, earning its ignominious reward.

Wood had previously looked more likely to retreat to square leg and Shoaib looked suitably chastened when the ball soared over the boundary.

He was joined in making his debut by two lesser-known names for injury-hit Lancashire in Scottish off spinner Gregor Maiden and seamer Oliver Newby, while second team wicketkeeper Jamie Haynes was drafted in as a batsman.

Lancashire chose to bat, meaning Durham had fielded first in all five of their games, and the teams were greeted on to the field by someone wearing a giraffe's head.

There were so many sideshows the whole shebang could have been put together by Billy Smart, but with nothing at stake on the pitch the crowd was well down from the 14,000 who flocked to the Roses battle last Thursday.

Loye, who hooked Plunkett's first ball for four, also shaped to hook Shoaib in his second over, but pulled out of the shot when he realised the ball was too quick for him.

But in the Pakistani's next over Law upper cut the first ball for six and smacked the second and fourth to the cover boundary off the back foot.

The Australian then departed for 22, becoming Shoaib's first victim for Durham when he got an inside edge into his off stump.

It proved a big turning point as Lancashire declined feebly from 38 without loss. In the next over Loye went for a big hit off Plunkett and skied a catch to Nicky Peng coming in from deep mid-wicket.

After that only Alec Swann, with 56, provided any resistance until Wood arrived as five batsmen surrendered for single figures, three of them to the gentle medium pace of Ashley Thorpe.

Gordon Muchall, brought in for Vince Wells, also had a bowl and snared danger man Carl Hooper lbw when the former West Indies captain tried to work him through the off side.

Glen Chapple, who sealed Lancashire's seven-wicket win with 77 not out in Sunday's National League contest between the sides, made only three before driving Thorpe to Peng at long-on.

But from 92 for seven in the 14th over Lancashire were allowed to recover as Wood lent Swann support with the sort of determination he always musters against his former colleagues.

After taking four wickets the previous night at Derby, Neil Killeen proved the weak link in the attack this time and Swann drove the last two balls of the 18th over for four and six.

The came Shoaib's final ball blunder and off the first ball of the last over Swann drove Plunkett to long-off, where Gary Pratt lost the ball in the sun and it went for four.

Swann chipped the next ball to mid-wicket, where Martin Love took a good left-handed catch, but the runs which came off the last three overs left Durham a stiffer task than they should have had.

Mustard looked shaky early on against Chapple, but with Lancashire's other frontline bowlers missing he was able to mix the unorthodox with the forthright to telling effect.

He often gave himself room to cut or run the ball to third man and really got into his stride when Newby replaced Chapple for the seventh over.

He drove the first ball first bounce over the rope at long-on and cut the third for a similar result at deep point.

A fierce drive to long-off took him to 50 then he hit Maiden over mid-wicket for six before being dropped by Newby when he swept to deep backward square. Instead of making sure he took advantage of the reprieve he danced down the pitch to the next ball and was beaten by the turn.

Hooper also cashed in on the generous turn available, bowling left-handers Pratt and Thorpe after Love had swept his third ball straight to square leg.

Hooper helped Durham by bowling a no-ball in the 18th over, but he was kept on for the last over with eight needed. Nicky Phillips swung across the second ball and was stumped, Killeen took a single off the fourth, the fifth was a wide, then Lewis scrambled a single and Killeen failed to connect with a swipe at the last

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