IF Durham thought they had burst Nottinghamshire's bubble by inflicting their first Twenty20 defeat on Tuesday night they were mercilessly disabused of the notion.

They were thrashed by 54 runs after the Outlaws came out with all guns blazing under their Trent Bridge floodlights last night and amassed 213 for four.

It was the biggest total Durham have conceded since the competition began in 2003.

Home skipper David Hussey drove the last ball of the innings over long-off for his fourth six to take his team past the 208 for four scored by Lancashire at Old Trafford in 2005.

Hussey finished on 54, made off 24 balls, while there was a 29-ball half-century from Alex Hales as the group leaders put the game beyond Durham, whose highest winning total when batting second is 181 for four at Old Trafford three years ago.

Going in at 40 for two after five overs, this was a chance for Paul Collingwood to make his mark. But he continues to struggle for form and after making six off eight balls he skied Samit Patel’s left-arm spin to deep mid-wicket and has totalled 27 runs in four innings.

While neither Collingwood nor Dale Benkenstein bowled, Nottinghamshire’s Steven Mullaney proved the value of gentle medium pace by taking three for 18 in his first three overs.

He held a brilliant right-handed return catch to get rid of David Miller and it was already a lost cause when Benkenstein skied to extra cover to make it 84 for six in the 11th over.

Gareth Breese salvaged some respectability for Durham by making 34 off 18 balls, but they were all out for 159 with three balls unused

Both teams were unchanged but Benkenstein lost the toss for the first time in five games, allowing Nottinghamshire to pursue their preferred policy of batting first.

Although the sun was bright enough to cast long shadows across the Trent Bridge turf the lights were on from the 7pm start.

Alex Hales quickly turned up the wattage as he hit the last three balls of Chris Rushworth’s opening over for four, the last two from short balls which were cut either side of backward point.

Graham Onions’ first two overs cost 20 runs and after conceding only three singles in his first over Mitch Claydon was pulled for four by Hales and six by Riki Wessels in his second.

Off the final ball of the over Wessels was dropped on 22 by Liam Plunkett on the square leg boundary, the only excuse being that he was looking into the sun.

When Rushworth returned for the sixth over Wessels stepped back to cart him for two fours through the off side before he attempted to sweep a straight ball and fell lbw.

At 60 for one at the end of the six-over fielding restrictions Durham turned to spinners Breese and Blackwell.

There were no boundaries in the next two overs, but there were no dot balls either with Adam Voges reverse sweeping both Blackwell’s first two deliveries.

Hales then hoisted Breese wide of long-on for a big six before Voges cut and reverse swept Blackwell to the boundary then pulled him for a third four in the tenth over to bring up the hundred.

Hales reached his 50 off 29 balls then pulled a fetlock in hitting Breese for another six over long-on and had to send for a runner.

Voges departed reluctantly for 39 when umpire Trevor Jesty upheld what looked an optimistic appeal for a leg-side catch by Phil Mustard off a short ball by Plunkett.

That brought in Hussey with seven overs left and he took 13 off Breese’s last four balls, including a six over extra cover.

Hales was happy to let Hussey have the strike before the incapacitated opener had a wild heave at Claydon in the 17th over and was bowled for 67.

Hussey drove an enormous straight six in Rushworth’s final over, leaving the seamer with one for 49, only two short of Durham’s most expensive T20 analysis, which belongs to Nicky Phillips.

On this occasion Claydon was the pick of the bowlers, finishing with two for 28 when his final ball knocked out Patel’s off stump.

Durham reached 20 before Gordon Muchall drove the last ball of the second over straight to extra cover.

For the next three overs the 6ft 6in duo of Luke Fletcher and Andy Carter proved the value of a full length and when Blackwell drove at a Fletcher yorker it took out his leg stump.

Mustard took three fours off Carter’s second over but fell for 29 when a top-edged sweep off Mullaney lobbed to short fine leg in an over which brought only two runs.

Durham had hit the buffers and by the time Breese restored the momentum the game was up. The lights shone brightly at the end, but the game simply fizzled out.