DURHAM are on the brink of their maiden first-class trophy - but the weather has put their celebrations on hold.

The North-Easterners have reduced Hampshire to 158-5 after scoring a record-breaking 312-5 in the Friends Provident Trophy final, but rain has forced both sides to return to Lord's in the morning.

With Hampshire requiring 155 runs to win off just 17.3 overs, Durham will be firm favourites after excelling with both bat and ball.

And if the forecast wet weather returns tomorrow, their advantage on the Duckworth-Lewis system means they could be crowned champions without another ball being bowled.

Ottis Gibson was Durham's hero today, cracking 15 runs off just seven balls as Dale Benkenstein's side scored the highest 50-over total in a Lord's final, before claiming two wickets with the first two balls of the Hampshire innings.

Gibson had both Michael Lumb and Sean Ervine caught by Michael Di Venuto at second slip as Hamsphire crumbled to 0-2 in their opening over.

The Barbadian also claimed the prize wicket of Kevin Pietersen - trapped leg before for 12 - and with Graham Onions and Paul Collingwood clean bowling Michael Carberry (23) and John Crawley (68) respectively, Hampshire will have to perform some lower-order heroics if they are to pull off one of the greatest comebacks in cricketing history.

Their task was all but impossible when they set off after Durham's batsmen scored at more than six-an-over after being put into bat.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul top-scored with a quickfire 78 but, with all of Durham's batsmen reaching double figures, their success was very much a team effort.

Phil Mustard bludgeoned 49 off 38 balls to set the tone, Kyle Coetzer added a classy 61 to maintain momentum, and Dale Benkenstein brought things to a thrilling climax as he plundered an unbeaten 61 from just 43 deliveries.

In a match-changing show of force, Benkenstein and Gibson added 33 from the final two overs as Hampshire's bowlers wilted in the face of some relentless shot-making.