THERE was scarcely a breath of wind at sunny Riverside yesterday, but Gareth Breese created quite a stir on his Durham debut.

The little West Indian included a majestic straight six in his sprightly 25 and took three wickets with his off-spin as Durham won their opening Totesport League match against Nottinghamshire by 26 runs.

But perhaps the biggest part in the victory was played by Mark Davies in a superb spell of three for 16 in seven overs at a time when the visitors looked favourites, having reached 51 for one in pursuit of Durham's 200 for seven.

Davies' accurate seam bowling reduced them to 64 for four and they were eventually all out for 174 with three overs unused.

The new sponsors of what used to be the National League could not have had a better day for their launch, with people in the sunshine seats slapping on sun block.

But the pitch was too slow to allow a sizzling contest, and Kevin Pietersen even shunned a helmet for the luxury of batting in a cap.

At 96 for four after 25 overs, Pietersen seemed to be the pivotal figure. He had looked fortunate to survive one run-out attempt by Gary Pratt on six, but the next sent him packing for 23.

Pietersen's England A colleague from last winter, Bilal Shafayat, turned the ball just in front of square and ran, but by the time Pratt had swooped from mid-wicket Pietersen seemed to know he was beaten even before the throw came in.

Nottinghamshire might still have had enough firepower to win, but Mark Ealham, who played in 64 one-day internationals, drove Breese to short extra cover, where Jon Lewis held a juggling catch.

Then Gareth Clough went down the pitch and was beaten in the flight and Shafayat holed out at deep mid-wicket.

After recovering from his broken arm, Breese injected some urgency at No 6 in the Durham innings and will be in contention for his championship debut at Derby on Wednesday.

With 21-year-old Ian Pattison at No 5, making only his second appearance in the one-day league, there was an inexperienced look about the Durham line-up, which may have explained their caution after choosing to bat.

They also found the pitch was slower than in the championship match and felt that 180 would be a winning score.

Only Marcus North hit more than one four, the Australian left-hander finding the boundary seven times in making 53 off 84 balls after seeing opening partner Nicky Peng edge the fourth ball of the day to the wicketkeeper.

Durham had made only eight when North drove the last ball of the sixth over through extra cover for the first four, and it was not until they reached 87 for two after 25 overs that they looked to accelerate.

To score 113 off the remaining 20 overs was very commendable, with the most productive over being the last as Liam Plunkett and Graeme Bridge took 13 off it to spoil Greg Smith's figures.

There was also a mean spell from Ealham, whose accuracy and variations of pace saw him concede only 26 runs in his nine overs.

The last ball of his first over was cut for four by Lewis, batting at No 3, but after making 12 the Durham skipper shaped for another forcing back-foot shot and ball nipped back to hit off stump.

Gary Pratt, the last of the specialist batsmen, was content to work the ball around in a stand of 65 in 15 overs with North.

But he did pull Smith for six just before the partnership ended when North clipped leg-spinner Stuart MacGill to Pietersen at short mid-wicket in the 28th over.

Pratt stayed until the 39th, when the need to press on persuaded him to drive well wide of off stump and he edged to the wicketkeeper after making 42 off 62 balls.

Breese also departed looking for a big hit, bowled by Smith, and Andrew Pratt backed up too far and couldn't get back at the start of the 44th over. But the 20 added by Plunkett and Bridge ensured a healthy total.

Nottinghamshire made a more solid start than Durham and reached 27 before Darren Bicknell drove a sharp return catch which was well taken by Plunkett.

Neil Killeen got past the bat several times, but also conceded a few boundaries, including two off successive balls by Russell Warren, who followed a sweetly-timed off drive by quickly spotting the slower ball which followed and pulling it through mid-wicket.

But Warren fell in the next over, the first bowled by Davies, when he seemed to check a drive and the bowler brilliantly clung on to a low return catch.

Jason Gallian then drove at Davies and edged to North at slip and the bowler had struck in each of his first three overs when he had David Hussey lbw.

Pietersen looked comfortable, but once he had gone the only resistance came from the final pair as MacGill hoisted successive balls from Breese over the short leg-side boundary for six.

They put on 43 before Killeen returned to bowl MacGill for 26.

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