A JUICY pitch, a cloudy day and a low-scoring match would not exactly be what Durham's Simon Brown had in mind when he chose yesterday's visit of Glamorgan as his benefit match.

But at least there was drama and the right result as Durham edged home by two wickets with nine balls to spare to stay among the front-runners in the Norwich Union League second division.

Chasing Glamorgan's 145 all out, Durham were struggling at 98 for seven as 20-year-old former Norton seamer Mark Davies made his way to the crease.

But he contributed ten to a stand of 30 with Jon Lewis, then Stephen Harmison made 11 not out as the captain finished unbeaten on 46.

It was a perfectly-judged innings by Lewis as he ensured that he capitalised on winning the toss for only the third time in the last 14 matches.

With dampness around, he put Glamorgan in and they slumped to 15 for four on a pitch offering lateral movement as well as variable bounce.

Riverside pitches have generally been excellent this season, but it has been observed before that those nearer the pavilion are less reliable and the moisture in this one reinforced that opinion.

Robert Croft, who had a good claim to be in the England side, threatened to be the match-winner as he made easily the game's highest score of 67, then took two vital wickets.

Before Lewis took charge, Croft's one-day international teammate Paul Collingwood offered Durham's best hope as he took three wickets and hit three sixes in a cameo innings of 25.

Glamorgan were all out for 145 in 40.2 overs, but once Durham's top three had gone cheaply they needed something special from Collingwood.

He had made one when he took two strides down the pitch and hoisted Owen Parkin wide of long-on for six.

Two balls from Steve Watkin which were only just short of a length were then pulled into the crowd, the second flying like an exocet missile almost into the hospitality boxes.

But in going for a similar shot off Darren Thomas, Collingwood skied a catch which was held inches inside the boundary by Parkin.

Lewis shared a promising stand of 37 with Michael Gough, who drove Croft to mid-on after making 17.

The off spinner had Martin Speight caught off bat and pad, then Glamorgan recalled Watkin for his final two overs and he had Andrew Pratt lbw, leaving Durham on 98 for seven and with only Davies, Harmison and Nicky Hatch to support Lewis.

Eight were needed off three overs when Harmison, on four, was dropped by Croft at slip off Parkin.

Harmison celebrated with an off driven boundary and also scored the winning run in finishing on 11 not out.

A crowd of just short of 2,000 turned up for Brown's benefit match. The bouncy castle did good business and there was some unscheduled entertainment when a small blue and white marquee left its moorings in a gust of wind and was deposited in the outfield.

Brown was unable to play because of his knee injury and three days before their C & G Trophy fourth round tie at Bristol, Durham were also without their three best one-day bowlers.

Nicky Phillips has joined the casualties with a hand injury, while Neil Killeen broke down on his comeback in the second team last Thursday and James Brinkley is still in Canada with Scotland.

That meant Durham had to recall Harmison after his calf injury and they brought in Davies in preference to Ian Hunter.

Harmison sent down two wides in the opening over and was comfortably the game's most expensive bowler with 28 runs coming off his five overs.

Hatch was much steadier and was rewarded with three prize scalps in Jamie Maher, Steve James and Matthew Maynard.

Left-hander Maher, a Queensland teammate of Durham's Martin Love, got an inside edge into his stumps, James was caught behind off a beauty which lifted and left him, and Maynard also edged to Pratt when driving wide of off stump.

Harmison chipped in with the wicket of Keith Newell, who drove to mid-off, before Croft took ten off an over to launch the counter-offensive.

He was not afraid to hit the ball in the air through the off side as he quickly transformed the game by dominating a stand of 93 in 19 overs with Michael Powell.

Danny Law replaced Harmison but could do little to stem the flow and the fifth wicket pair were well established when Davies came on for Hatch.

It took the introduction of Collingwood with the score on 99 after 22 overs to apply the brake and in his second over Powell miscued a drive to mid-off, giving Nicky Peng his second simple catch.

Croft had ten fours in his 59-ball half century, but Collingwood's accuracy, coupled with the loss of Powell, forced the off spinner to knuckle down.

Davies, who bowled tidily, had his reward when Adrian Dale pushed forward and lifted his back foot, allowing Pratt to pull off a slick stumping.

Alun Evans was lbw to Collingwood and, despite the danger of not batting through the overs, Croft was eighth out when he went down the pitch and was bowled by Gough.

Collingwood bowled Steve Watkin to finish with three for 21 from his nine overs and he finished the innings with a catch at backward point as left-hander Darren Thomas skied an attempted leg side heave off Law.

In the experienced Watkin, Glamorgan had the perfect bowler to exploit the conditions and he had Peng lbw with a full-length ball in the third over.

Watkin persistently beat the bat, but it was Owen Parkin who took the next two wickets. Law was bowled playing back to a good-length ball and Love clipped to mid-wicket, where Evans took an excellent catch low to his left.

Collingwood's big hits relieved the pressure and with support all the way down Lewis was able to shepherd his young flock to an exciting win.