DURHAM squandered a good start, not helped by three run-outs, before being revived by a late flourish in their Royal London Cup tie at home to Derbyshire.

Michael Richardson, a surprise inclusion, was involved in two of the run-outs but achieved the rare feat of reaching 50 without hitting a boundary.

He then launched one to long-on, but the need to accelerate at the start of the last ten overs saw him chop a ball from seamer Ben Cotton into his stumps.

Richardson top-scored with 56 in a total of 247 for eight, which was boosted by an unbeaten 38 off 32 balls by Chris Rushworth – his best one-day score.

He was dropped on nine, 27 and 30 as Derbyshire's previously impressive fielding fell apart as the last five overs yielded 49 runs.

Gordon Muchall made an unbeaten 43 without hitting a boundary, while Rushworth hit two sixes in the unbroken stand of 65.

Derbyshire must have been starting to regret putting Durham in on a sunny morning when Mark Stoneman square drove Shiv Thakor's first ball for four to reach 26 out of 44 in the eighth over.

It proved to be the last four for 18 overs after Stoneman departed two balls later without addition, pulling the medium pacer to short mid-wicket.

After contributing to the sprightly start, Phil Mustard was becalmed as Scott Borthwick scored the next nine runs, only to be run out by a brilliant stop and direct hit from Mark Footitt at backward square leg.

When Mustard drove Wes Durston's innocuous off-spin straight to short extra cover to depart for 17 Durham had slipped to 69 for three.

Richardson and Paul Collingwood rebuilt the innings through ones and twos until Collingwood finally lofted a straight four in Thakor's final over then hit another off Alex Hughes.

But after contributing 33 to the stand of 57 he went down the pitch and was stumped for 33 off a ball from leg-spinner Matt Critchley which turned sharply.

Critchley, who has just turned 19, continued to bowl impressively, achieving dip as well as turn. He should have had Rushworth caught at deep mid-wicket on nine, but Billy Godleman misjudged it.

Durham's gamble on selecting Calum MacLeod to bat at six failed when he was run out for two. His uncertainty in answering Richardson's call for a sharp single to mid-on saw him fail to beat Wayne Madsen's direct hit.

Ryan Pringle hit two fours before advancing fatally from the non-striker's end when Richardson drove to cover.

Any chance of a late onslaught seemed to have gone when John Hastings went for a duck, giving Footitt a gentle return catch. But Rushworth rode his luck to carry Durham to a competitive total.