DURHAM'S lack of Twenty20 firepower was quickly exposed as the crash, bang, wallop competition began its second season at Trent Bridge last night.

Despite tasty contributions from Mustard and Onions, Durham are not going to be the hot dogs of the northern group after losing by three wickets to Nottinghamshire, who passed their inadequate total of 120 with five balls to spare.

A crowd of 4,000 turned up on a blustery evening hoping to see some fireworks and were finally rewarded by Kevin Pietersen, who rescued the hosts from five for three with 67 off 48 balls.

By the time he was seventh out, lbw trying to sweep a quicker ball from Graeme Bridge, Nottinghamshire needed only 13 runs off 20 balls.

Pietersen was on 12 when a fierce pull off Onions went through Marcus North's hands at short mid wicket. But he was in command by the time a shower threatened to bring the Duckworth/Lewis calculations into play.

Nottinghamshire needed to be 55 at the end of the ninth over and Pietersen square drove the last ball for four to take them to 58.

The rain stopped after a couple of overs, but the wet ball didn't help Durham and the powerful Pietersen hit six fours and swept Bridge for the game's only six.

Only reserve wicketkeeper Phil Mustard, in his first senior appearance of the season, made any impact with the bat for Durham.

Graham Onions had the distinction of being involved in an unusual kind of hat-trick on his competition debut. Durham's last man was out first ball then took wickets with the first two balls of the reply.

When David Hussey, who blasted 166 not out on Durham's championship visit, miscued to mid-on in the next over Nottinghamshire were five for three.

But Chris Read, appointed captain for this competition, helped Pietersen put on 46, then Mark Ealham shared a stand of 49 to bring victory into sight.

Durham's decision to use three spinners had some impact as Ealham was smartly stumped by Andrew Pratt off Gareth Breese and Bridge had Gareth Clough lbw as well as Pietersen.

Mustard hit six fours but no-one else found the boundary at all after Durham were put in and were dismissed with two balls of their 20 overs unused.

With his blend of flashing strokes and chips into space, Mustard made 64 off 46 balls and when he was eighth out in the 17th over, only 28 runs had come off the bat at the other end.

When Durham were 60 for two after eight overs they had the chance to press on to 150, but then a streaker waddled across the ground and within four overs the innings was down to its vest and underpants.

It was 70 for four at the halfway stage and the next two overs brought only three runs for the loss of Jon Lewis and Gordon Muchall.

With all the recognised batsmen gone, Mustard then cut back on the flamboyance and concentrated on batting out the overs. But he was bowled in the 17th when he walked across his stumps and tried to paddle Ryan Sidebottom behind square.

Mustard opened the innings in this competition last season, and although he was at No 3 this time he was at the crease to face the fifth ball.

Andrew Pratt opened and after almost being run out in scampering a leg bye off the second ball he then fell lbw trying to work an in-swinger from Ealham to mid-wicket.

The first two overs brought only three runs each, six came off the third then Marcus North went for a forcing back-foot shot off Andrew Harris and edged to wicketkeeper Read.

Also in the fourth over Mustard just cleared mid-off with his score on ten then turned the next ball, a full toss, behind square for the first boundary.

A slash off Ealham flew square on the off side for four and in the sixth over Mustard cut Harris for his third boundary and lofted the next ball to the rope wide of long-off.

All looked well as he drove Sidebottom through extra cover for another four, but after the intrusion of the streaker Durham's batsmen couldn't even summon the bare necessities for this type of cricket.

Medium pacer Gareth Clough came on for the ninth over and Gary Pratt pushed forward to the first ball and had his off bail trimmed.

Then the cruelty of Twenty20 combat was underlined as Breese cracked a superb drive to deep extra cover and went back for a second, only to be beaten by Pietersen's brilliant throw.

Lewis and Muchall were both bowled playing indeterminate shots and Bridge was the only other batsman to reach double figures as he contributed 11 to a stand of 30.

He looked shocked to be given run out following a direct hit from 25 yards by Samit Patel, leaving the tail to scratch what crumbs they could from the last three overs.

The reply began with Paul Franks skying an attempted pull to be caught at mid-wicket by Breese, then an excellent ball by Onions had Jason Gallian lbw.

Hussey surrendered to Neil Killeen, but Durham had to wait seven overs for the next wicket, Mark Davies striking with his second ball when Read drove at an away swinger and edged to Andrew Pratt.

The spinners' three wickets ensured it went to the last over, but with three needed Patel drove Killeen's first ball to the cover boundary.