Phil Mustard was at his swashbuckling best yesterday as he improved his best one-day score for the second time in three games.

A second ball duck against Leicestershire was sandwiched inbetween his 129 not out at home to Warwickshire and yesterday's unbeaten 139 at Northampton.

On a run-laden pitch at Wantage Road, Durham recovered from an early mauling to restrict the hosts to 247 for seven, then coasted home by eight wickets with 9.4 overs to spare to remain on course for the CB 40 semi-finals.

Durham already had 140 on the board when Paul Collingwood went to the crease in the 16th over and against Northants' rag bag of bowlers he and Mustard were able to pick off the runs at their leisure.

The Colonel brandished his cutlass to wonderful effect in reaching 50 off only 33 balls and maintained his rate well into the 70s before throttling back.

There were four sixes in his 81-ball century and he added three more in a late flourish while Collingwood also cleared the rope twice as Northants threw in the towel.

Mustard's score was the second highest by a Durham player in the one-day league behind Ben Stokes' 150 not out at Edgbaston this season.

After losing the toss Durham looked likely to concede a total of well over 300 while openers Alex Wakeley and David Willey were racing to 101 after 12 overs.

As in the previous week's game at home to Leicestershire, Ian Blackwell stemmed the tide, although not until his first two overs had cost 27 runs.

They were delivered while the fielding restrictions were still operating and as soon as they were relaxed the game changed dramatically.

Blackwell conceded only 14 runs in his remaining six overs and made the breakthrough when he turned one to bowl left-hander Willey for 57.

In the next over Gareth Breese also found a modicum of turn to have Wakeley lbw on the back foot for 55 and Durham's third spinner, Scott Borthwick, weighed in with two wickets. He was also the most economical bowler, conceding 36 in his eight overs.

The omens looked unpromising from the first ball, which Wakeley drove past mid-off for four off Mitch Claydon and the 22-year-old right-hander continued to stroke boundaries almost at will in a 34-ball half-century.

On the ground where his Sedgefield-born father, Peter, spent the bulk of his long career, Willey just cleared Will Smith at deep square leg for the first of his four sixes.

With the score on 49 after eight overs, Durham decided to persist with the fielding restrictions by calling the bowling powerplay and the four overs yielded 52.

Wakeley took advantage of the space at long-on to club 20 off Blackwell's second over, when there were also four byes, and when Paul Collingwood came on for an over Willey pulled and drove two sixes.

With the restrictions off, Breese replaced Collingwood and Willey immediately pulled him for six to reach 50 off 43 balls.

But the carnage abruptly ended with the openers departing in the next two overs.

Former powerful biffer David Sales was unable to get going. He made seven before driving a catch to mid-on in Borthwick's first over as the total limped to 133 at the halfway stage.

The two Robs, Newton and White, kept it ticking along at six an over for the next ten, but there was to be no acceleration as Newton was bowled by Borthwick's googly shortly after hitting him over long-on for six.

The batting powerplay was called with five overs left but Onions bowled his slower bouncer to good effect and Claydon concentrated on a full length wide of off stump.

Onions took his one wicket with his final ball, a full toss almost high enough for a no-ball. Newton skied it to Phil Mustard and when Collingwood returned for the final over he took two wickets in two balls.

The first was a regulation catch to Smith at deep mid-wicket, the second was a brilliant running and leaping effort by Stokes at long-on.

Northants had scored only 54 off the final ten overs, well below what they would have hoped for, especially considering the rookie nature of their attack.

Off-spinner James Middlebrook bowled the first over, conceding seven as Mustard reverse swept him for four, then Luke Evans and David Burton went for 41 in the next four.

Evans, signed from Durham during the winter, has been injured for most of the season while Burton has just been handed a one-year contract following trials with several counties.

Mark Stoneman, again opening after it was decided not to risk Michael Di Venuto, initially outpaced Mustard.

But when Willey's left-arm seam was introduced Mustard flicked a superbly-timed shot off his toes for six over square leg and followed up with a drive into the stand over long-on.

The total had raced to 78 in the ninth over when Stoneman got a leading edge off the one experienced seamer, Andrew Hall, and lobbed a catch to mid-off.

At 103 for one after 12 Durham took the batting powerplay and Northants gambled with an over of White's occasional leg spin.

Mustard smashed another huge six over mid-wicket followed by a four to the same area, but he lost Stokes for 28 when a powerful drive was held at mid-off.

Durham still needed 108 to win, but it proved a stroll in the park, with Collingwood unbeaten on 38.