DURHAM’S acting captain in the YB 40 competition, Mark Stoneman, led the way with 85 off 87 balls as his team rattled up 297 for nine at home to Lancashire today.

It looked like being even more when Stoneman and Phil Mustard had 92 on the board after ten overs, but the next ten produced only 55.

After being content to play second fiddle in the first few overs, Mustard began to middle the ball with such power and placement that records looked certain to tumble. In the end, Durham had to be content with their highest one-day score against Lancashire, the previous best being 246 at the Durham University ground in their first match against county opposition on 1992.

After Mustard departed for 65 the rest of the innings was an anti-climax until Gordon Muchall followed his 30-ball half-century against Derbyshire on Monday by making 48 off 33 balls. Ben Stokes weighed in with 40 off 33.