JUST when Durham's Nicky Phillips must have thought life had taken a turn for the better it kicked him in the teeth yesterday.

After wrapping up Durham's championship win against Derbyshire at Darlington with a spell of three for none, the off-spinner was a late call-up for yesterday's National League match against Leicestershire when Graeme Bridge dislocated a finger during practice.

But in the fifth and sixth overs of the Foxes' innings Phillips dropped both Trevor Ward and Darren Stevens at second slip.

Stevens was on nought at the time and went on to make 125, the highest score at the Riverside in a one-day match between two first-class sides.

Leicestershire's total of 266 for seven, only three fewer than Yorkshire amassed in the last Sunday match here, always looked likely to be too steep for Durham. Even against a modest attack they were all out for 181 in the 41st over to lose by 85 runs.

They sent in Andrew Pratt to open, even though he has totalled four runs in his last five innings, and he made only two before swinging wildly across the line to be bowled by Phil DeFreitas in the third over.

When Nicky Peng was caught low down at extra cover by Stephens, Durham were 17 for two and much depended on Paul Collingwood on his first appearance for the county since May 27.

He quickly lost his third wicket partner Danny Law, who handed DeFreitas a third wicket by skying a catch to square leg.

Collingwood played very well to make 44 off 52 balls, but the asking rate was up to seven an over when he picked up left-armer Matt Whiley off his toes and the ball flew straight to Ward at deep backward square leg.

Gordon Muchall had helped to put on 65 in 12 overs, but it was asking a lot of skipper Jon Lewis to come in and step up the rate.

Muchall drove consecutive balls from off-spinner Carl Crowe for straight sixes in reaching his top one-day score of 48.

But when he advanced to meet a full toss from Crowe he got the ball too high on the bat and hoisted a catch to deep mid-wicket.

When Gary Pratt stumbled and was run out in the next over it was all over for Durham, and when Lewis drove to mid-on after making 31 the last four wickets went down for seven runs.

The unfortunate Phillips was bowled for a duck and trooped off to the accompaniment of Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life. It is doubtful whether he appreciated the gesture.

Durham used to have a settled pair of slips in Collingwood and Martin Love, and several catches have gone down there during their absence.

Phillips rarely fields there, but it was preferred to use Collingwood's greater agility at backward point, where he took a good catch to get rid of the left-handed Iain Sutcliffe in the fifth over after Leicestershire chose to bat.

Three balls later it could have been 12 for two as Stevens edged a drive off Ian Hunter, and in the next over Neil Killeen was the unlucky bowler as Ward escaped on four. Durham were soon made to pay as the last ball of the eighth over flew to the boundary, followed by the first two of the next.

Ward hit three fours in Hunter's fifth over, then Stevens handed the same treatment to Killeen while also going within a gnat's whisker of being bowled when shouldering arms.

It was his day as on 26 he edged just wide of Phillips, who by that stage was the only slip.

Stevens also survived two very difficult chances to Gary Pratt on 71 and 120, but in between the youngster proved he can get to chances which others wouldn't get near. He turned and sprinted 20 yards before diving full length to hold a ball coming over his shoulder at backward square leg, getting rid of Vince Wells.

Leicestershire at that stage were 210 for five in the 40th over, but with Darren Maddy coming in to strike 30 not out off 19 balls they added a further 56 runs.

At 26, Stevens is a surprise inclusion on next winter's shortlist for the ECB Academy. It has taken the departure of Ben Smith and Aftab Habib for him to be sure of a regular place and he has been in prolific form this season. A cover drive for four off Ian Hunter, followed next ball by another boundary wide of long-on, took him to his hundred off 98 balls and he was finally out in the 44th over when he went down the pitch to Phillips and was stumped.

Andrew Pratt gratefully took the chance to whip off the bails as he had been unable to recapture the outstanding form he showed in front of the Sky cameras last year.

Stevens' only higher one-day score was 133 in the NatWest Trophy against Northumberland at Jesmond two years ago. He clearly likes the North-East as he made a half-century coming in at No 6 in a Benson & Hedges match at the Riverside last season.

Mark Davies was the pick of Durham's bowlers, coming on when Stevens and Ward were in full cry and bowling Ward off an inside edge.

Collingwood struck what looked a vital blow when he swung one in to left-hander Michael Bevan to have the Australian lbw for 20, but Stevens sailed along to put the game beyond the reach of a Durham team searching desperately for the key to a good start.

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