SUPERB bowling by Graeme Bridge and a magnificent century by Marcus North rekindled Durham's totesport League promotion hopes yesterday.

They overhauled Nottinghamshire's 229 for seven with six wickets and 14 balls to spare at Cleethorpes, with North unbeaten on 121.

It was the Australian left-hander's second century in the competition, beating the 119 he made at Worcester.

He drove four sixes in reaching his hundred off 97 balls, including two straight ones off fellow Aussie Stuart MacGill.

The leg-spinner was expected to be the danger man after Bridge found plenty of turn in taking three for 14 in his nine overs.

But MacGill may not have been helped by damaging his left hand in attempting a diving catch with North on 36.

He retired for treatment and was brought straight on to bowl on his return, only to find North in no mood to let him settle.

A pleasant day at a ground not dissimilar to Hartlepool, although not quite as picturesque, provided an excellent advert for the dwindling spectacle of out-ground cricket. Nottinghamshire played two championship matches here in the early 1980s and first came back for a one-day match in 1999.

The pitch was good, but it is doubtful whether anyone realised how much it would turn until Bridge bowled the dangerous Kevin Pietersen in his second over.

The South African, who will be England-qualified in two months, had raced to 30 off 22 balls when he played back and shaped to turn Bridge to mid-wicket, only to be bowled off stump.

As Bridge had already had Russell Warren stumped off his second ball, he had figures of two for none and it was his 20th ball before a run came off him.

He also removed Chris Read, who scored a match-winning century against Durham in the championship clash at Trent Bridge. Another ball which turned had the wicketkeeper caught at slip by Paul Collingwood.

Notts were motoring along at 113 for two after 19 overs and had taken 52 off the previous six overs when Bridge came on.

What threatened to be a torrent of runs suddenly turned to a drought as two runs came off five overs with Gareth Breese's off spin helping to slam on the brakes.

Bridge's three wickets reduced Notts to 137 for five and the slump could have grown worse had Mark Ealham not survived a lofted hit into the sun off Breese on nine. North ran round from deep mid-wicket to get under the ball but couldn't hang on to it.

Ealham, who has played some destructive innings recently, took no more risks against the spinners until he off drove Breese for the first four for 18 overs. He then hit successive balls in Breese's last over for four and six.

Even so, with North having bowled two overs for seven runs at that point, 20 overs of spin had cost only 60 runs. It seemed Jon Lewis might have missed a trick by not splitting Bridge's overs, allowing North to bowl more with Bridge bowling at the death.

Collingwood had earlier opened up with a wicket maiden, bowling Australian David Hussey for 37, but then conceded 26 runs in four overs. Yet he was brought back at 174 for five with five overs left and promptly went for 13.

Neil Killeen also returned at this point and conceded 27 off two overs and the re-emphasis of the dominance of spin forced Lewis to recall North for the 43rd and 45th overs.

In this innings of fits and starts there were three occasions when three successive balls were hit for four.

In the eighth over Hussey cover drove, pulled and square drove Killeen; in the 15th Warren inside edged, cut and on drove Andy Blignaut to the rope; and in the 41st Ealham hit two on drives off Collingwood then sat back to cut a slower ball.

Those blows took Ealham to 56 off 70 balls, but he was run out by excellent fielding from Gary Pratt at long-off.

Ealham had put on 63 with Gareth Clough, who drove North for six on his way to 40 not out, but North conceded only four runs off the final over and had Samit Patel caught at long-off, giving Collingwood his third catch of the innings.

His first was at second slip, removing Jason Gallian off Killeen's second ball to take the totesport second division's leading bowler to 20 wickets in the competititon.

Killeen began the day with an average of 14.89 and the best economy rate in the league of 3.13, but after opening up with a wicket maiden yesterday he finished with one for 60 in seven overs.

His usual exemplary length was missing and any suggestion that the conditions didn't suit him was dispelled when Ealham troubled both Durham openers.

Perhaps the tide was coming in as Nicky Peng looked all at sea and was bowled for one by Ealham in the sixth over.

But North soon began to middle the ball and shared useful stands with Lewis and Collingwood before both fell to spin.

Lewis went down the pitch in the first over of Pietersen's little-used off spin and appeared to be deceived in the flight as he barely offered a shot and was easily stumped.

Collingwood drove the left-arm spin of Patel for a big six but on 28 he went to sweep the same bowler and was bowled.

Gary Pratt made 22 and helped to bring victory within sight before edging seamer Richard Logan to the wicketkeeper, leaving Breese to help North secure a comfortable win.

Read more about Durham County Cricket Club here.