THE England selectors were out in force at Bristol yesterday, mainly to watch Durham's Paul Collingwood.

But while he didn't let them down, with 39 runs and two wickets, he was powerless to prevent Durham from sliding to defeat by 66 runs in the Benson & Hedges Cup quarter-final against Gloucestershire.

They did well to dismiss the hosts for 199, but on a grudging pitch the one-day kings had too much know-how and with Mark Alleyne shuffling his bowlers skilfully they gradually ground Durham into a hopeless position.

The asking rate had just about become too much when Collingwood was lbw to seamer James Averis in the 37th over to make it 116 for five and Durham were all out for 133.

As he tried to hold things together and keep the score moving in ones and twos, Collingwood hit only two fours off the 72 balls he faced, and the batsman who looked most likely to win the game for Durham was the nerveless Nicky Peng.

Clearly unfazed by either the occasion or the presence of the Sky cameras, Peng scored 32 of Durham's first 41 runs, hitting four cracking fours in his 41-ball stay before chipping Gold Award winner Jonathan Lewis to short mid-wicket.

Sporting his Durham tie, despite having captained both teams, chairman of selectors David Graveney said Collingwood was among those in the frame to replace Nasser Hussain in the second Test against Pakistan.

But he has a better chance of being selected for the one-day squad for the triangular series with Pakistan and Australia, which is to be named on Friday, the day before Collingwood's 25th birthday.

England coach Duncan Fletcher was also at sun-baked Bristol to see a player who is the leading run scorer in first-class cricket this season and picked up two gold awards in the B & H group matches.

Durham skipper Jon Lewis said: "I felt we had done really well at halfway and the lads can hold their heads up. We were beaten by a side who apply a very disciplined game plan in circumstances they know well.

"It was a very slow and low wicket, and when the ball went soft it was impossible to get it away. I really nailed a few shots which went nowhere."

After winning five one-day trophies in the last two seasons, Gloucestershire could afford to have an off-day with the bat and still prove too resourceful for Durham.

On such a slow pitch run scoring was never going to be easy, but the hosts proved more adept than Durham at one-day tricks such as running the ball to third man.

They also had two or three very productive overs, with 12 coming off the 12th, bowled by Ian Hunter, and 13 - including four byes - off the 45th, bowled by Collingwood.

It is easy to criticise in hindsight, but this was an over too far for Collingwood, especially as James Brinkley conceded only 15 runs in his seven overs and was left with three overs unused.

After Gloucestershire chose to bat, Durham were perhaps lulled into a false sense of security when Collingwood held two smart return catches - the second a brilliant left-handed effort - to reduce them to 126 for five with 15 overs left.

At that point Durham needed to turn the screw, but Gloucestershire managed to eke out a further 74 runs with off-spinners Jeremy Snape and Martyn Ball scoring 24 and 27.

Encouraged by Martin Love, Lewis gambled by recalling Michael Gough for the 48th and 50th overs and his first nine balls cost 12 runs before the next two claimed the last two wickets, both caught in the deep.

Gough finished with three for 36 in 7.5 overs, while Collingwood also conceded almost five an over and Hunter went for 37 off seven.

Neil Killeen and Nicky Phillips both bowled extremely well, but the difference was that Gloucestershire had no weak links in their attack and they knew exactly what was needed on such a grudging surface.

After Killeen bowled Rob Cunliffe in the third over, Australian Ian Harvey came in to make a quickfire 43, most of his big shots coming off Hunter.

Although it seemed a rash stroke when he holed out at deep square leg in Brinkley's first over, in the context of a low-scoring match he had played a vital innings.

Peng was the only Durham player who came close to matching his fluency, and when he was out Durham needed a big stand between Love and Collingwood.

But with Ball's well-flighted off breaks proving difficult to get away, Love's tentative drive offered a low return catch after he had made 19 in 19 overs.

Skipper Lewis joined Collingwood in a stand of 38, but it was hard work and they were falling steadily further behind the rate, especially when Alleyne recalled Harvey for the 30th over, which produced only one run, leaving Durham to make 104 off the last 20 overs.

Sensing Durham's frustration, Alleyne next recalled Averis and Lewis punched a shortish ball into the hands of short extra cover.

When Collingwood followed four overs later it was as good as over and the rest surrendered in a forlorn attempt to get the ball away, being all out with 7.3 overs left