Yorkshire v Durham (Friends Provident Trophy)

IF THIS does prove to be Ottis Gibson's last season, as he intended at the outset, Yorkshire will breathe a huge sigh of relief.

Following his outstanding performance against them in Durham's recent championship win at Riverside, the 38-year-old all-rounder yesterday virtually ended Yorkshire's interest in the Friends Provident Trophy.

With Michael Vaughan in a top five who have all played Test cricket, the Tykes should have been confident of overhauling Durham's 266 for eight on a good Headingley pitch.

But with Neil Killeen keeping things tight at the other end Gibson removed Vaughan for five, caught off a skied pull, and also took the other two wickets in reducing them to 25 for three.

Even though Anthony McGrath set about Gibson in his second spell on the way to 100, Yorkshire were all out for 213 on a bad day for Vaughan, who dropped Scott Styris at backward point on 24 before the Durham newcomer went on produce a one-day masterclass.

McGrath's second Friends Provident century of an otherwise lean campaign arrived with 5.2 overs left, at which point Yorkshire were four runs ahead of Durham's score at the equivalent stage with four wickets standing.

But five balls later it was all over without addition to the total as three skied catches, followed by the run out of Darren Gough, saw Yorkshire's challenge fizzle out.

Durham's general superiority might have been rewarded earlier had Gibson, Will Smith and Dale Benkenstein not put down difficult chances during the sixth-wicket stand of 73 between McGrath and Tim Bresnan, which revived Yorkshire.

Durham's win kept them at the top of the group with two games left and as Warwickshire lost to Worcestershire victory at home to Nottinghamshire next Sunday will secure a first semi-final place.

In his second game since joining on a two-month contract Styris had hit only two fours in reaching 56 off 69 balls when he cut loose in the 47th over, adding 42 off 15 balls before being caught on the square leg boundary for 98 off the last ball.

Yorkshire's slide began when Craig White cut to third man, then Vaughan's exit was followed next ball by Jaques Rudolph being superbly taken down the leg side by Phil Mustard.

Gibson made his career-best 155 at Headingley in the final match of last season, and followed up with ten wickets and an innings of 71 in last month's match at Riverside.

He got to the crease only in the 48th over yesterday, batting one place below Gareth Breese at nine in probably the strongest line-up Durham have fielded for a one-day match.

Durham's total was built around Styris and an innings of 77 from Mustard, who hit the last of his ten fours in the 28th over.

It was the 41st before Durham found the boundary again as they were surprisingly stifled by the leg spin of Younus Khan and the accurate medium pace of one-day specialist Richard Pyrah.

Styris set about Bresnan in the 47th over, driving successive balls over long-on for four and for a straight six.

Two overs later Bresnan's first four balls went for four through cover, four over extra cover, six to mid-wicket and four behind point off a full toss.

With Bresnan's last two overs costing 37 runs it was a surprising decision by Gough to recall him instead of Jason Gillespie, who had bowled seven overs for 20 at the outset.

It totally undermined Gough's own impressive efforts as he proved again that there is still no better English bowler at the end of an innings.

He repeatedly hit the blockhole and only two runs came off the first three balls of the last over before Stryis opened the face to slice the next two skilfully over gully for four.

That meant he had scored his last 42 runs off 15 balls before hitting a low full toss straight to McGrath to leave Gough with three for 46.

After Durham won the toss on a cloudless morning Gough and Gillespie proved a totally different proposition from the Worcestershire new-ball bowlers last Friday.

It was a sign of frustration when Mustard called Michael Di Venuto for a single to cover in the sixth over and Pyrah's direct hit ran out the Tasmanian for the second successive innings.

Durham had managed only three fours in 12 overs when Mustard slogged successive balls from Bresnan to the leg-side boundary.

But when Deon Kruis replaced Gillespie, Smith shaped to pull his first ball, only to lob it gently to cover.

Two balls later Mustard drove Kruis over long-on for his only six then pulled him for four to reach 50 off only 55 balls, despite his quiet start.

Gough turned to Younus at 102 for two after 21 overs and he surprised Paul Collingwood with a top-spinner, which pinned the England batsman lbw on the back foot for 14.

Styris clipped an early boundary off his toes behind square off Kruis, but it was 18 overs before he hit another one, pulling the first-ball loosener of Gough's second spell through square leg.

Mustard dragged an attempted sweep off Younus into his stumps, then Benkenstein contributed 22 to a boundary-free stand of 40 in 11 overs.

With 181 on the board at the start of the final ten overs Benkenstein decided to go for it, but hoisted Pyrah straight to deep square leg.

Kyle Coetzer sliced a drive off Gough to backward point, but Breese hit three fours in making 18 off 16 balls before driving to mid-on.

At that point Styris was in full cry and the brutal force with which he turned a modest total into a very competitive one gave Durham a huge lift.

Yorkshire quickly surrendered to the Gibson jinx then Graham Onions, initially expensive, produced a beauty to have Younus caught by Mustard for 20 and when Pyrah drove Breese to long-on something extra special was required from McGrath.

He almost produced it, but when he skied the first ball of Collingwood's second spell to extra cover Yorkshire were sunk.

SCORECARD

Yorkshire v Durham at Headingley Carnegie.

Durham
M J Di Venuto run out 8
P Mustard b Younus Khan 77
W R Smith c McGrath b Kruis 13
P D Collingwood lbw b Younus Khan 14
S B Styris c McGrath b Gough 98
D M Benkenstein c Younus Khan b Pyrah 22
K J Coetzer c Vaughan b Gough 2
G R Breese c Gillespie b Gough 18
O D Gibson not out 4
Extras (b2 lb6 w2 pens 0) 10
Total 8 wkts Innings Complete (50
overs) 266
Fall: 1-16 2-49 3-104 4-141 5-181 6-197 7-233
8-266
Did Not Bat: G Onions, N Killeen.
Bowling: Gillespie 7-0-20-0. Gough 10-1-46-3.
Bresnan 7-0-65-0. Kruis 6-0-40-1. Younus Khan
10-0-43-2. Pyrah 10-0-44-1.

Yorkshire
J A Rudolph c Mustard b Gibson 18
C White c Onions b Gibson 2
M P Vaughan c K J Coetzer b Gibson 5
A McGrath c Benkenstein b Collingwood 100
Younus Khan c Mustard b Onions 20
R M Pyrah c Onions b Breese 15
T T Bresnan b Breese 33
S M Guy c Collingwood b Killeen 9
D Gough run out 0
J N Gillespie c W R Smith b Collingwood 0
G J Kruis not out 0
Extras (b3 w2 nb6 pens 0) 11
Total (45.4 overs) 213
Fall: 1-11 2-25 3-25 4-58 5-111 6-184 7-213 8-
213 9-213
Bowling: Gibson 8-0-48-3. Killeen 8-2-16-1.
Onions 9-0-63-1. Collingwood 5.4-0-17-2.
Breese 10-0-36-2. Styris 5-0-30-0.

Durham beat Yorkshire by 53 runs