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Lightning stumble yet again

A devastating opening burst by Mick Lewis and Graham Onions gave the Durham Dynamos their second Twenty20 Cup victory over Lancashire Lightning at Old Trafford.

The pair ripped out Lancashire's top order in the opening five overs to reduce the score to 23 for five - and even though the hosts eventually managed 117, it appeared to be well short of a competitive total.

In reply, the Dynamos looked well on course at 81-0 before they tried their best to throw it away - but Jimmy Maher's half-century eventually saw them home off the very last ball.

Australian Lewis was the first to strike, with the first ball of the second over, when he bowled Stuart Law through the gate for nine - Law had already hit two boundaries - before removing Gareth Cross with the fourth ball.

Then it was Onions' - who finished with three for 25 - turn to join in the fun by snapping up emergency opener Simon Marshall at first slip in the next over.

Marshall, the 23 year old leg-spinner, has excelled at the top of the order in place of the injured Mal Loye with scores of 47 and 39 - but he could only manage a single before Gareth Breese completed the dismissal at first slip, with 10 for three the score.

There were then two boundaries off Onions' next over - the fifth of the innings - from Mark Chilton and Nathan Astle, before the Gateshead-born paceman bounced back in fine style.

He removed both Astle and Chilton, both caught behind by Phil Mustard, in the space of three balls.

Steven Croft and Dominic Cork managed to halt the Lightning's slide with a well-constructed sixth-wicket partnership of 40.

The two all-rounders mixed good running between the wicket with some lusty hitting, Croft's six over square-leg the pick.

But unfortunately, Cork (22) had a rush of blood when off-spinner Breese was introduced. After reverse sweeping two successive balls for four, he made a hash of an attempted third and was stumped by Mustard off a leg-side wide.

Croft continued his good work on the way to a career best of 31, before Tom Smith and Sajid Mahmood helped out with some more lusty hitting at the end.

Both hit a six over mid-wicket, as Smith finished with 21 and Mahmood 16.

Lewis finished off the innings with the two wickets of Croft and Smith to record fabulous figures of four for 19 off his four overs.

Durham openers Maher and Gordon Muchall (45) then got off to a very slow start in reply - but wickets in hand was always going to be the key. They compiled only 26 off the first six overs.

With the threat of rain looming large over Old Trafford, they then accelerated into a much stronger position - and the game was in their grasp.

But that was the stage when they so nearly snatched defeat from the jaws of victory, losing five wickets for 23 runs - Gary Keedy, Marshall, Mahmood and Cork the wicket takers.

Durham's five-wicket success means they join Lancashire on four points. Both have played five games and could have to win their remaining three contests to qualify.

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