FOR the third successive NatWest Pro40 game Durham brushed aside token opposition at Chesterfield yesterday to return to the top of division two.

It wasn't quite as easy as against Yorkshire a week last Monday, but a target of 196 was never going to test them against a second-string attack.

Michael Di Venuto took advantage of his former team-mates' troubles to make 64 and Kyle Coetzer scored 53 as Durham coasted to the target with seven wickets and 12.3 overs to spare.

It was Di Venuto's highest one-day score for Durham, beating the 57 he made in this competition in the defeat at Canterbury.

With one game left, at home to bottom club Glamorgan on Saturday week, Durham are now one point ahead of Somerset, who have a game in hand. Two teams go up and there is also a third place play-off.

The only disappointment yesterday was that Phil Mustard surrendered after making 29 off 24 balls while being watched by England selector Geoff Miller.

Mustard changed his bat after struggling with his timing, then thrashed 18 off four balls from Boyd Rankin. Three fours were driven first bounce over the rope and a six was picked up high over mid-wicket.

In going for another big hit in the next over he was bowled by Wayne White, but he had provided the launching pad and Coetzer was able to rely on orthodox strokeplay to bring victory within sight.

He survived a sharp return chance to Jon Clare on 14, but was otherwise untroubled as he continued his excellent form.

After a stand of 108 in 16 overs, only 41 were needed when Di Venuto played on when driving at fellow Tasmanian Michael Dighton, the hosts' acting captain. Then after reaching 50 off 59 balls Coetzer tried to sweep the next delivery from young off-spinner Chris Paget and gloved it to the wicketkeeper.

Dale Benkenstein hit Paget over mid-wicket for six in and Gordon Muchall completed the task by picking up Rankin high over square leg for six.

Derbyshire were without skipper Simon Katich because of a shoulder problem, plus the three seamers who started their last match, Graham Wagg, Tom Lungley and Kevin Dean. As they also lost Graeme Welch pre-season and Ian Harvey after a few games there is little left in a seam department which has also lacked Sacriston's Ian Hunter for most of the season with knee trouble.

New Director of Cricket John Morris was keen for Katich, his former Durham team-mate, to return next season and the Australian was offered generous terms. But he has said he wishes to concentrate on captaining New South Wales and will not be back.

Left-hander Phil Weston, who has rarely scored runs against his native county, tried to hold the innings together after Dighton won the toss and chose to bat.

Weston has not had a great first season at Derbyshire, missing part of it through injury, and there was a suspicion that Durham wanted to keep him in as was dropped on ten and 12.

Liam Plunkett seemed to have held on at cover but lost the ball as he tumbled forward, then Gareth Breese was unable to hang on to a sharp chance at short extra cover.

Weston went on to make 51 off 77 balls, with eight fours, before top-edging a sweep off Breese to deep square leg. That made it 126 for four in the 26th over and the manner of Weston's dismissal suggested he knew it would not be sufficient to play an anchor role.

However, with him gone there was not a lot left, so Hassan Adnan took on the task of ensuring there was no collapse. He also scored 51, with only three fours, before he was smartly run out in the 38th over by Breese, swooping in from wide mid-on to hit the stumps.

This partly redeemed Durham's lapses in the field. They may have had a few awkward bounces, but it would be churlish to criticise the outfield at the lovely Queen's Park venue, which Durham were visiting for the first time since 1994.

A large, shirt-sleeved crowd turned up for the first day of the rearranged festival, which was put back after Chesterfield was flooded in June.

This is normally a fast-scoring ground, but after Neil Killeen had Dighton lbw in the third over the only time Durham were under threat was in the tenth over, when Travis Birt set about Ottis Gibson.

A four over long-off was followed by a straight six and a four through cover off successive balls. But no-one can take liberties with Gibson at the moment and the next ball was skied behind point, where Muchall turned to take a good running catch.

Greg Smith drove Plunkett to Ben Harmison at cover to bring in Adnan, who was greeted by former team-mate Di Venuto posting himself two yards from the bat at silly point for Breese's bowling.

It didn't last long as Breese dropped one short and Di Venuto must have felt the draught as Adnan cut it fiercely for four.

Derbyshire could be reasonably satisfied to have 101 on the board after 20 overs, but with Paul Wiseman joining Breese in an all-spin attack only 22 came from the next five overs.

Weston then holed out and two overs later Jamie Pipe set off for a non-existent run to mid-wicket and was beaten by Coetzer's throw.

There was none of the excitement crowds expect in the last ten overs of a one-day innings and after conceding 43 runs in his opening six-over spell Gibson returned to take two for three in the 40th over.

All his golden arm had to do to snare Jake Needham was lob up a full toss, which was driven straight to Muchall at long-on, then a perfect yorker accounted for Paget.

Derbyshire's total of 195 for nine never looked like being remotely competitive