BEN Stokes left it a bit late to stake his claim for a trip to India, but his England credentials were crystal clear as he helped Durham to a five-wicket win against Sussex yesterday.

He grabbed the crucial wicket of Luke Wells with the 16th ball of the day and took the game by the scruff of the neck when he went in at 34 for two in pursuit of a target of 165.

Stokes struck three glorious fours in scoring 18 off the first 12 balls he faced and went on to make 45 off 49 balls before impetuosity again got the better of him as he drove to long-on.

Once he learns that with his power of stroke he doesn't need to go looking for runs he will become an England regular.

Michael Richardson was happy to scamper singles in their stand of 67, but he almost saw the job through by making 58. It was the highest score by a Durham No 3 this season, beating his own 41 at Liverpool.

Durham and Sussex have the same record of five wins and five defeats, but the visitors finished ten points and two places ahead courtesy of their superior batting points tally.

Durham's leading run scorer in the championship was Paul Collingwood with 697 and only four passed 500, which explains why it was a huge relief to avoid relegation.

Yet the team won five of their last six games and had a moral victory in the other, the rain-ruined draw at Liverpool. Had they won that and one of three others when they were denied by the weather they would have finished second.

In the match in which he equalled Jon Lewis' Durham record of 146 first-class appearances, Phil Mustard claimed his 500th first-class victim yesterday.

The wicketkeeper, who is to be married next week and will be 30 next month, reached the landmark by catching Wells, putting him 303 ahead of his nearest Durham rival, Martin Speight.

It was a family affair on the final day of the season as Mustard's cousin, Chris Rushworth, achieved career-best figures for the fourth time this season.

He began with his one-day best of five for 31 at home to Nottinghamshire and each of his three five-wicket hauls in the championship has bettered his previous first-class best.

He took the last four wickets to finish with five for 38 as Sussex were dismissed for 180.

After playing in only one championship match last year, Rushworth came into the side in mid-season and took 38 wickets in nine games.

Graham Onions led the way with 64 and looks certain to win the Player of the Year award on Monday. But he could scarcely believe his lack of luck yesterday as edges and miscued shots narrowly evaded fielders and he frequently beat the bat, finishing with none for 54.

Wells had not added to his overnight 51 when he went neither forward nor back to an excellent ball from Stokes, which pitched in the perfect spot and did enough to find the edge.

Rushworth did the rest, swinging the ball both ways to claim two lbw verdicts and a gully catch before last man Monty Panesar lobbed a catch to mid-on.

Mark Stoneman got Durham's chase off to a fluent start, but Keaton Jennings made only one before fending a steeply-rising ball from Lewis Hatchett to second slip.

The left-armer also skidded one through Stoneman's back-foot defensive shot to hit leg and middle before Stokes emerged and immediately cracked him for three fours.

There was no further threat from the Hatchett man and after rain accompanied Stokes' dismissal Richardson took on the mantle of chief run-getter in impressive fashion.

He pulled Hatchett for his fifth four to reach 50 off 123 balls just before Dale Benkenstein was bowled by Panesar with 27 needed.

The target was down to 15 when Hatchett straightened one off the pitch to have Richardson lbw, but Mustard easily picked off the remaining runs.

After the gripping finishes at Arundel, Trent Bridge and at home to Middlesex, this was an anti-climactic end to the season. But Richardson provided a bright ray of hope for the future, and in the end avoiding relegation was all that mattered.

Durham lost the Second X1 Trophy final against Lancashire at Northern CC, Crosby, by 76 runs yesterday. The match was postponed because of rain on Tuesday, and after travelling home then back again Durham were unable to get to grips with chasing a 40-over total of 190. They were all out for 114.