DURHAM took another comfortable stride towards promotion in the totesport League when they consolidated second place with an eight-wicket thrashing of Kent at Riverside yesterday.

The slow pitch didn't help the entertainment value, but Kent's attitude turned it into a non-event, which was a huge shame for anyone newly-converted to the game by the Ashes series.

Leicestershire kept up the pressure in third place with a match-winning total of 253 for eight at Headingley and it might be asked why so many more runs can be scored 80 miles down the road.

Not since Yorkshire visited in May have both sides topped 200 in a totesport match at Riverside and, despite sunny weather, it was amazing that Kent chose to bat first considering the recent one-day shambles on the ground.

Inside three overs they were two for three, both runs coming from extras, and they were dismissed for 140. There were three wickets each for Neil Killeen and Gareth Breese, but the best bowler was Liam Plunkett with one for 15 in his nine overs.

After his failure on his debut against Derbyshire last week, Queensland left-hander Jimmy Maher then gave the crowd some much-needed entertainment by contributing 70 to an opening stand of 123.

Durham had made one change to their recent one-day side by bringing in Gary Pratt for Callum Thorp, but they persevered with Gavin Hamilton as Maher's opening partner.

The Scot got off the mark with an edge through first slip's legs then sat back to admire Maher's powerful driving and pulling.

Hamilton was on 12 when Maher completed his 50-ball half-century by pulling successive balls from Matt Dennington for four.

Maher was also harsh on young Antigua-born seamer Robbie Joseph as he quickly adapted to the lack of pace in the pitch.

Hamilton began to flourish as he enjoyed more of the strike and when Maher had the chance to face a full over from off-spinner James Tredwell he drove the first ball over long-on for six and reverse-swept the next for four.

He tried to repeat the shot and hit it straight into the hands of Martin Van Jaarsveld at backward point when 18 were needed for victory. Hamilton top-edged to the same position two overs later to fall for 43.

As Kent's priority is to win the County Championship, they left out Robert Key, Andrew Hall and Justin Kemp from their usual one-day side. David Fulton has also opted out of the one-day captaincy and there was no place for the off-spinning former Durham University all-rounder Rob Ferley.

Kent's total was their lowest against Durham in the one-day league, one short of the 141 they made at Darlington in 1997. Kent still won that game as Durham were all out for 125, but there was no suggestion of a repeat yesterday as nine extras came from the first over and Kent's silence in the field spoke volumes.

Yorkshire, two places lower in ninth, also appear to have lost interest, which should benefit Durham when they go to Headingley next Sunday. Two wins from the remaining three games will suffice.

Other than Durham's 227 against hapless Scotland last week, the scores of the teams batting first in recent totesport matches at Riverside are 82, 113, 140 and 147.

Batting in the first 15 overs against the white ball seems to be almost impossible, so it was a tall order for Kent's makeshift opening pair of Tredwell and 19-year-old Joe Denly.

The left-handed Tredwell shouldered arms and had his off stump rattled by Brad Williams in the first over and in the second Denly played forward and was bowled by Killeen.

In the third over, Darren Stevens tried to clip Williams to mid-wicket and got a leading edge to Dale Benkenstein at mid-on.

South African Martin van Jaarsveld turned Killeen behind square for the first runs off the bat in the fourth over then acting captain Matthew Walker square drove the first boundary.

There were only 13 more fours in the innings, ten of them from 25-year-old former Surrey player Michael Carberry, who played extremely well for 63.

There was a strong hint of Caribbean flair about the left-hander Carberry's cover driving, while he also cut Breese behind square for three fours.

But he was involved in the run out of van Jaarsveld, whose well-struck shot was brilliantly stopped by Pratt at backward point. The South African, who had moved nicely on to 25, hesitated fatally as Carberry kept on coming.

From 52 for six Kent were partially revived by a stand of 74 between Carberry and Dennington, who was bowled by Killeen for 17 in the 40th over.

In the next over Carberry tried to sweep Breese and top-edged the ball behind Phil Mustard, who turned to take a good catch, then Martin Saggers played immaculately forward and was bowled first ball.

It was an unhappy return for the former Durham man, who at least bowled with vigour but enjoyed no success.

Gordon Muchall get off the mark with a lovely off-side four off Saggers, and in the next over, the 28th, Paul Collingwood smashed Tredwell over mid-wicket for the winning boundary. It was all over 75 minutes ahead of schedule.

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