MICHAEL DI VENUTO cemented his place in Durham’s one-day side with a valuable half-century and three catches in a comfortable win against Scotland at the Citylets Titwood ground in Glasgow.

Despite making 101 not out at Worcester at the end of the 2008 40-over league campaign, Di Venuto did not feature last season as Durham looked for a vibrant, youthful approach.

Recalled for the previous two games, in both of which he made 17, he was in need of a good performance and duly obliged as Durham won by 47 runs.

Put in to bat, Durham had reached eight without loss after three overs when rain reduced the CB 40 match to 30 overs a side and, after the early loss of Phil Mustard, Di Venuto took command.

He had made only two when Mustard was out in the fifth over, but then dominated a stand of 96 in 16 overs with Ben Stokes.

DiVenuto’s 63 off 62 balls propelled Durham to 189 for seven and once Steve Harmison had removed Scotland’s two dangermen the match was as good as over.

There was a brief threat when Harmison’s brother Ben, who made 12 not out off four balls, undid his good work with the bat by being hit for three fours by South Africa-born Richie Berrington in the ninth over of the reply.

But Steve came on for the next over and had Australia A captain George Bailey caught by Di Venuto at second slip, then in his third over he had Berrington held at first slip by Gareth Breese for 29.

Di Venuto, who has taken 18 catches in nine championship matches, had already begun Scotland’s slide by hanging on to a chance offered by Dougie Watts off Chris Rushworth.

Although ex-Yorkshire and Durham left-hander Gavin Hamilton tried to rally Scotland, they didn’t have the depth or firepower to recover from 59 for four in the 14th over.

Their revised target under the Duckworth/Lewis method was 193 and they finished on 144 for nine, Hamilton making 63 off 60 balls before he was run out by Di Venuto with 12 balls left.

On a slow pitch, and batting mostly under grey skies with drizzle around, Durham’s total was well above par after Gordon Goudie opened up with a spell of one for 13 in three overs.

When he returned for the 20th over, Di Venuto cracked his sixth and seventh fours to reach 50 as 15 came off the over.

The Tasmanian hit two more boundaries before edging home captain Gordon Drummond to the wicketkeeper.

Stokes maintained the momentum by driving offspinner Majid Haq for six, only to be caught at long-off from the next ball for 39, made off 53 balls.

On the strength of his 77 against Nottinghamshire the previous week, Gordon Muchall was sent in ahead of Ian Blackwell but was unable to time the ball and made only eight off 13 balls at a time when Durham were looking for boundaries.

Dale Benkenstein provided them with three fours and a six in making 34 off 23 balls, then sprightly contributions by Blackwell and Ben Harmison ensured that Durham took 85 off the last ten overs.

Liam Plunkett opened the bowling with Rushworth and his first over cost seven runs, but three more yielded only five more runs and the wicket of Preston Mommsen, who edged to Mustard as both openers fell with the score on 12.

Either Bailey or Berrington, the top two in their averages, then had to make a good score if Scotland were to have any chance. They put on 30 before Steve Harmison removed them, and there was no support for Hamilton as Blackwell picked up three wickets.

Scoreboard

CB 40 – Group C

Scotland v Durham At The Citylets Titwood

Durham Innings

P Mustard c Bailey b Goudie ................12

M J Di Venuto c Lockhart b Drummond 63

B A Stokes c Goudie b Haq ..................39

D M Benkenstein c Hamilton b Goudie .34

G J Muchall c Bailey b Goudie .............. 8

I D Blackwell run out ...........................11

L E Plunkett c & b Goudie ................... 2

B W Harmison not out ........................12

G R Breese not out ............................. 0

Extras (b1 lb2 w5 pens 0)..........8

Total 7 wkts Innings Complete

(30 overs)...............................189

Fall: 1-16 2-112 3-123 4-158 5-164 6-176 7-178

Did Not Bat: C Rushworth, S J Harmison.

Bowling: Goudie 6-0-51-4. Parker 6-0-26-0.

Drummond 6-0-29-1. Berrington 4-0-26-0.

Haq 5-0-39-1. Mommsen 3-0-15-0.

Scotland Innings

D F Watts c Di Venuto b Rushworth ...... 7

P L Mommsen c Mustard b Plunkett ..... 5

G J Bailey c Di Venuto b S J Harmison . 7

R D Berrington c Breese b S J Harmison .29

G M Hamilton run out .........................64

N F McCallum c Di Venuto b Blackwell . 7

D R Lockhart c Rushworth b Blackwell . 1

M A Parker c S J Harmison b Blackwell 12

R M Haq not out .................................. 4

G D Drummond c Rushworth b Stokes . 1

G Goudie not out ............................... 6

Extras (w2 pens 0).....................2

Total 9 wkts (30 overs)...........145

Fall: 1-12 2-12 3-42 4-59 5-87 6-91 7- 120 8-133 9-136

Bowling: Rushworth 4-0-14-1. Plunkett 4- 0-12-1. B W Harmison 1-0-12-0. S J Harmison 4-0-18-2. Breese 6-0-27-0. Blackwell 7- 0-42-3. Stokes 4-0-21-1.

Durham beat Scotland by 47 runs (D/L Method)