WHILE Durham's plans for permanent floodlights remain on the back burner they failed to sparkle under the Derby illuminations last night.

They allowed opponents who are vastly inferior on paper to rattle up 183 for three then allowed themselves to be confused by part-time spinners and the threat of Duckworth/Lewis.

Requiring 15 off the last over, bowled by Steffan Jones, they fell five short, finishing on 178 for five and bursting the bubble created by the previous evening's easy win at Northampton.

As rain began to fall in the tenth over of their reply umpire George Sharp removed the bails at the non-striker's end but no-one else wanted to go off so play continued.

At that point Durham would have won under the D/L method, exactly matching Derbyshire's ten-over score of 88 without loss.

The hosts lost a wicket to the first ball of the 11th over and so did Durham as Phil Mustard charged down the pitch to be stumped off Chesney Hughes' left-arm spin for 36.

Anguilla-born Hughes, more of a batsman than a bowler, got through four reasonably tight overs by spearing the ball in then occasional off-spinner Wes Durston took two wickets in the 15th over.

Gordon Muchall, who relied largely on high-class orthodox strokes to reach a 30-ball half-century, fell for 62 when he skied a catch to cover.

Then Paul Collingwood holed out for six on the mid-wicket boundary, leaving Dale Benkenstein and David Miller to try to match Derbyshire's tally of 53 off the last four overs.

That had been inspired by another South African, Wayne Madsen, who was helped to a 28-ball half-century by some indifferent bowling plus four overthrows.

Those came about when Liam Plunkett's attempted run out hit the stumps and ricocheted to the boundary. And how crucial it proved.

Durham's two South Africans threatened to pull it off until Benkenstein hit a Jones full toss straight to deep mid-wicket in the 18th over.

Although Gareth Breese contributed a sprightly unbeaten 16 and Miller showed his class in making 26 not out they had been left with too much to do.

It was a disappointing night for Collingwood, who was not called upon to bowl after being the pick of the bowlers at Northampton.

Injury was not offered as an excuse, although throwing in appeared to trouble his right shoulder.

Benkenstein again put the opposition in but the start was in stark contrast to the previous evening.

New Zealander Martin Guptill turned Graham Onions' second and third balls to the mid-wicket boundary and the fifth ball was belatedly signalled a wide.

So slow was umpire Steve Garratt to signal that it appeared to be a response to Durham's protracted appeal for a leg-side catch by Mustard.

Chris Rushworth opened up with two wides and was then hoisted first bounce over the rope at long-off by Guptill as the first two overs yielded 21 runs, 18 more than Northants managed.

When Mitch Claydon came on for the fourth over Guptill drove, pulled and glanced him for three fours as 16 came off the over.

With Somerset reject Durston lending support, the total raced to 59 by the time the six-over powerplay ended and Durham turned to the spinners.

Only 16 runs came off the next three overs before Guptill reached his 50 off 35 balls then lifted Ian Blackwell high over mid-wicket for six.

With the total on 88 Durston attempted a reverse sweep off Breese and edged to Mustard for 25.

Two balls later Hughes stepped down the pitch and just cleared the fielder at long-off. But only three more runs came off Breese's over and off the first ball of his final over a full toss had Guptill caught at extra cover by Benkenstein for 60.

Hughes, on 13, went down the track and survived a stumping chance before glancing Breese's final ball to the fine leg boundary, leaving the off-spinner with two for 27.

At 115 for two after 14 overs Benkenstein recalled Onions, apparently with instructions to bowl halfway down the pitch. After the first two balls were hit for three and four the third had Hughes very well caught by Breese, running round the mid-wicket boundary.

When Rushworth returned for the 17th over his first ball was an excellent yorker, which conceded four runs off Madsen's inside edge.

The South African reverse paddled the next ball to the third man boundary as 15 came off the over then two upper cuts spoilt Plunkett's figures. Three good overs had cost only 16, but the final one went for 13.

Madsen was again allowed to show his liking for the upper cut when Claydon was brought back for the final over.

Home skipper Luke Sutton changed the bowling every over, even when 6ft 4in seamer Jon Clare conceded only three runs off the fourth.

Durham quickly got back on terms as the next over from Jones yielded 16 after Muchall followed a delightful cut through gully with a powerful straight driven four.

With dark clouds gathering the lights began to take effect at around 9pm and Sutton allowed his two left-arm spinners, Hughes and 17-year-old Tom Knight, to bowl straight through their four overs.

Durham had begun to fall behind the rate and when Ian Blackwell holed out at long-on for eight off Knight they were left with just too much to do.