DURHAM were overwhelmed by the power of England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff at the Riverside yesterday just as they were threatening to bounce back from Sunday's embarrassment against Scotland.

Lancashire were 78 for four halfway through their overs in pursuit of Durham's 186 for eight when Flintoff emerged to thrash 42 off 24 balls.

Looking lean and mean after all the work on his fitness, he also took three wickets, but it was his spectacular batting which allowed Lancashire to ease home by five wickets with ten balls to spare.

Flintoff began by pulling Michael Gough for four then took on Stephen Harmison.

His England colleague beat him with the first ball of the 24th over, but the next was cut viciously over gully for four and the third was picked up over mid-wicket. A four was signalled, but the ball cleared the rope by a yard. On 13 Flintoff survived a sharp return catch to Gough, then drove the next ball wide of mid-off for four and when Gough bowled a no-ball to allow a free hit at the next ball Flintoff smashed it over long-on for six.

Durham went to pieces. Danny Law was called up for his first one-day bowl of the season and Flintoff hit three fours in his first over, then Neil Killeen returned and saw two long hops pulled to the rope by Alec Swann.

They had added 64 in eight overs when Law found the right line and length and Flintoff, pushing forward, edged to Andrew Pratt.

With the target now down to 45 off 15 overs, Swann and Warren Hegg were able to pick off the runs at their leisure, Swann finishing on 73.

In a game reduced to 44 overs a side by a shower, everyone struggled to find the boundary on the slow pitch for 66 overs until Flintoff made it look ridiculously easy.

Defeat was harsh on the Pratt brothers. Gary's unbeaten 66 took his average from three National League innings to 201, while he and Andrew took four catches between them.

Pratt senior, who is as good a glove-man as any wicketkeeper in England, may have been inspired by the presence of ECB Academy coach Rod Marsh, who is expected to be named as an England selector today.

Durham produced another stuttering performance with the bat, the second highest scorers being Gordon Muchall and Jon Lewis with 23.

Durham chose to bat and always had to work hard for their runs, hitting two fewer than the 14 fours they managed the previous day.

When Gary Pratt drove Flintoff through extra cover to reach 50 off 78 balls it was only his third four, but at least he stuck around to accumulate steadily.

The only flurry came early in the innings when Gough drove and pulled Peter Martin to the boundary and Muchall clipped John Wood over mid-wicket then pulled him wide of mid-on for another four.

They put on 43 in ten overs before perishing in quick succession, and while Pratt and Lewis were putting on 58 for the fourth wicket they were held in check by the off-spin of Gary Yates.

While Durham again left out Nicky Phillips, Lancashire must have noted the success of Scotland's off-spinner Majid Haq as they drafted in Yates, their second team captain.

Like Haq, he gave his off breaks plenty of air, kept Durham bottled up and conceded only 29 runs off his nine overs.

All those runs came in singles until Pratt took a two and an edged three off the final over of Yates, who was preferred to leg-spinner Chris Schofield.

Lancashire were also without the injured Jimmy Anderson and Glen Chapple and lost young seamer Kyle Hogg after bowling seven overs when he tore a calf muscle in the field.

All these injuries might force Wood, the former Durham bowler, to play some championship cricket in the final season of his three-year contract.

A man known for bending his back only when the mood takes him, he certainly put the effort in yesterday, hitting Nicky Peng's leg stump via an inside edge in the second over.

The introduction of Flintoff saw off Gough as the extra pace of the deceptively quick bowler found the edge.

Muchall, who was again looking good, then fell for a trap when he clipped Hogg straight into the hands of Stuart Law positioned ten yards from the bat at short mid-wicket.

There was a nine-minute break for rain at 71 for three, after which Yates was introduced and 40 were added in ten overs before Lewis drove wide of off stump at Wood and edged to Hegg.

Law made five before depositing Yates straight into the hands of deep mid-wicket, leaving the Pratt brothers to ensure respectability.

Andrew made 17 before Flintoff rattled his stumps with a full-length ball and the England man took his third wicket when Javagal Srinath drove to cover.

Durham made a good start in the field through tight bowling by Killeen and Srinath, who made the breakthrough in the seventh over when former Leicestershire left-hander Iain Sutcliffe cracked him to Gary Pratt at cover.

Dewald Pretorius came on for the 12th over and struck in his second and fourth overs. Mark Chilton edged to Andrew Pratt then Mal Loye shuffled across and was lbw.

Harmison began with two accurate overs before being switched to the Finchale End, where he bowled three successive wides before having Law caught behind.

That merely brought in Flintoff, who transformed the game in a few savage blows.

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