DURHAM made a brave attempt yesterday to shake off the coach-lag and the nightmare of the previous day’s thrashing at Bristol.

But they lost their last six wickets for 25 runs and were rewarded for traipsing to and fro across the south of England with another Friends Provident Trophy defeat, losing by 56 runs at Hove.

One-day specialist James Kirtley cashed in on Durham’s growing desperation to take the last five wickets and finish with six for 50 as they were all out for 257 with 19 balls unused.

After four defeats from five games, even victory in the remaining three would be highly unlikely to take them into the quarter-finals.

Following Ed Joyce’s second one-day century in a week against them, Durham found themselves chasing a target of more than 300 for the second successive day.

The Irish left-hander made nought and three in last week’s championship match between the sides at Hove. But he followed his 103 not out in last Monday’s FPT tie at Riverside with a one-day best 127 in the return fixture as Sussex amassed 313 for seven.

They had scored 313 for six on Sunday against Surrey and won by only two runs, but Durham were unable to maintain the challenge launched by Phil Mustard’s run-a-ball 92.

At the 35-over mark they were 194 for three, compared with Sussex’s 193 for two, but Mustard had just departed, caught at long-on, and in the next over Ian Blackwell was run out for 29.

Blackwell had driven two sixes in his first 20 runs and his exit was a big blow. He set off for a single when Dale Benkenstein pushed the ball into the covers but was sent back and failed to make it.

While Gordon Muchall was contributing 20 to a fifth-wicket stand of 34 victory still looked possible, but when he was also run out Kirtley was able to turn the screw.

He bowled Gareth Breese and Liam Plunkett, and also removed Benkenstein and Mitch Claydon. The inexperienced Will Gidman was left in an almost hopeless position and was last out when he was also bowled by Kirtley.

As at Bristol on Sunday, when Gloucestershire made 301 for eight, Durham lost the toss and were unable to stem the flow of runs with a 50mph wind blowing diagonally down the ground.

Steve Harmison, who briefly seemed to be hitting his stride on this ground on Saturday, conceded 51 runs in three two-over spells. He was cut and pulled by Joyce as his middle two overs went for 25, but he partially redeemed himself by coming back at the death to bowl Rory Hamilton- Brown and concede only 11 from two overs.

Liam Plunkett made a better start than at Bristol, his opening three overs costing only four runs, but his next two went for 17 as Joyce and Joe Gatting began to open up.

They followed their stand of 117 in the eight-wicket win at Riverside by putting on 110 this time before Gatting edged Ian Blackwell to Phil Mustard immediately after reaching 50 off 60 balls.

Joyce went to his 109-ball century by lifting Mitch Claydon over mid-wicket for one of his two sixes and was threatening mayhem when Muchall dived forward to catch him at deep mid-wicket off Blackwell.

The extra impetus Joyce had given the innings from the 38th to the 44th overs proved crucial and there was also a valuable late contribution from Yasir Arafat.

The Pakistani, who arrived at the weekend, also bowled tightly, but once Mustard and Michael Di Venuto broke free of the early shackles they gave Durham hope with a stand of 59 before the Tasmanian fell lbw to Robin Martin- Jenkins for 32.

With Will Smith lending sprightly support, Mustard pressed on after reaching 50, surviving a chance to Will Beer at long-on to drive three sixes, one of which smashed a toilet window.

The ball was retrieved, but in the end Durham’s bold challenge went swiftly down the pan.

Scoreboard

Sussex v Durham At Hove

Sussex

E C Joyce c Muchall b Blackwell ........127

J S Gatting c Mustard b Blackwell ........50

L J Wright c Benkenstein b Breese .......20

M W Goodwin b Gidman .......................16

M H Yardy c Gidman b Claydon ............27

R J Hamilton-Brown b S J Harmison .....19

Yasir Arafat not out ..........................24

R S Martin-Jenkins not out .................... 7

Extras (b5 lb7 w9 nb2 pens 0) ....23

Total 6 wkts Innings Complete (50 overs)..............................313

Fall: 1-110 2-159 3-201 4-256 5-261 6-295

Bowling: Claydon 8-0-47-1. Plunkett 7-0-38- 0. Gidman 7-0-41-1. S J Harmison 6-0-51- 1. Breese 10-0-50-1. Blackwell 10-0-60-2.

Benkenstein 2-0-14-0.

Durham

M J Di Venuto lbw b Martin-Jenkins ......32

P Mustard c Hamilton-Brown b Kirtley ..92

W R Smith c L J Wright b H-Brown .......30

I D Blackwell run out ..............................29

D M Benkenstein c Y Arafat b Kirtley .....23

G J Muchall run out ...............................20

G R Breese b Kirtley .............................. 3

L E Plunkett b Kirtley ...................3

W R Gidman b Kirtley ............................ 8

M E Claydon c Beer b Kirtley ................. 0

S J Harmison not out ............................. 3

Extras (b2 lb6 w6 pens 0)............14

Total (46.5 overs) ...................257

Fall: 1-59 2-127 3-188 4-198 5-232 6-239 7- 242 8-248 9-248

Bowling: Kirtley 8.5-0-50-6. Yasir Arafat 8- 1-28-0. Martin-Jenkins 6-0-47-1. L J Wright 8-0-31-0. Beer 7-0-38-0. Hamilton-Brown 6- 0-34-1. Yardy 3-0-21-0.

Sussex beat Durham by 56 runs.