DURHAM reacted to the devastating news about Brad Hodge with their best one-day display of the season in a thrilling win on Sunday.

Paul Collingwood's first one-day century propelled them to the Riverside's second highest total in the one-day league, but they had to survive a scare before beating Nottinghamshire by 44 runs.

Only Leicestershire's amazing 344 for four in 1996 stands ahead of the 275 for three amassed by Durham as they climbed above their visitors at the foot of the National League division one.

Durham were coasting to victory when they reduced Notts to 53 for four, but then South Africans Kevin Pietersen and Nicky Boje put on 136 in 20 overs.

They had the target down to 87 off nine overs when the powerful Pietersen tried to run Collingwood to third man and edged to wicketkeeper Andrew Pratt.

He had just clubbed Nicky Phillips for his second big six wide of long-on and was looking extremely dangerous, but his exit for 85 off 75 balls virtually ended the challenge.

In the next over Boje drove Phillips over long-on for six to reach 60, but was then bowled making room to cut and Durham could breathe easily as the rest went meekly.

Durham were only seven short of their record total in the league, which was compiled for the loss of only two wickets against Derbyshire at the Durham University ground in 1993.

Graeme Fowler's 124 on that occasion is one of only four scores higher than Collingwood's 118 not out by a Durham player in this competition.

Two belong to Wayne Larkins and the other to Nicky Peng, who set things in motion yesterday by contributing 38 to an opening stand of 63 with Michael Gough.

In losing seven of their previous eight games in this competition, Durham had been bowled out for 72 and 79 and had only once passed 200, when the last-wicket pair put on 45 in the 30-run defeat by Yorkshire.

The highest opening stand in those eight matches was 12, but after opening with Andrew Pratt and sending in Danny Law at three last week, Durham changed tack.

They sent in Gough and went for a solid start, although he was a little fortunate in twice edging Andrew Harris for four in the second over.

His luck was overdue, however, and he capitalised with an innings of 57, sharing a match-winning stand of 104 with Collingwood.

The innings began to blossom in the ninth over, when Richard Logan replaced Harris and Peng pulled his first ball for four, drove the next high over extra cover, then cut him over point.

Logan had his revenge in his third over, nipping one back to bowl Peng off his pads, but the platform allowed Collingwood to slip straight into top gear.

In the 30th over he reached a 56-ball half-century two balls before Gough got to the same mark off 80 balls.

Collingwood celebrated by taking 13 of the next over from Greg Smith, including a four thumped to long-on and a six swept majestically from outside off stump.

Gough clipped left-arm spinner Boje to mid-wicket with the total on 167, then Gary Pratt scored 20 off 15 balls before his expert running became over-ambitious.

He risked a second following a fumble by Logan at long leg, but was beaten by a bullet-like throw.

Skipper Jon Lewis kept Collingwood sprightly company for the rest of the innings, although Collingwood had an escape with his score on 88.

He was badly dropped by Steve Randall at long-off in the 42nd over off Logan and in the next over he hooked Harris for his ninth four to reach his hundred off 91 balls.

The century was rapturously received by the sun-baked crowd and in the final over Collingwood top edged Smith over fine leg for another six as 58 came off the last five overs.

Lewis had four fours in his cameo of 29 not out off 23 balls.

There was an early alarm in Nottinghamshire's reply when Paul Johnson cracked three of Neil Killeen's first four balls to the boundary either side of point.

But Killeen then trimmed Johnson's off stump and he struck again in the eighth over when Guy Welton miscued to mid-off.

Stephen Harmison, given a rare one-day outing, sent down seven wides but generally kept the batsmen quiet as he got the ball through to the wicketkeeper with impressive carry.

He also took the important wicket of Usman Afzaal, who drove well wide of off stump and edged to Andrew Pratt.

When Jason Gallian cut straight to Collingwood at backward point in Mark Davies's first over, it looked all over.

But Pietersen hit his first ball for four through extra cover and brought his full 6ft 4in frame to bear in his powerful shots, even standing up straight to pick off a couple of amazingly well-struck reverse sweeps.

For yet another EU passport holder to inflict decisive damage on Durham would have been too much to bear, but he couldn't snatch the Man of the Match award from Collingwood.

SCORECARD

Durham v Nottinghamshire

At Riverside

Durham Innings

N Peng b Logan 38

M A Gough c Pietersen b Boje 57

P D Collingwood not out 118

G J Pratt run out 20

J J B Lewis not out 29

Extras (lb8 w5 pens 0) 13

Total (3 wkts, 45 overs) 275

Did Not Bat: A Pratt, D R Law, N C Phillips, N Killeen, A M Davies, S J Harmison.

Fall: 1-63 2-167 3-192

Bowling: Smith 9-2-50-0. Harris 9-0-50-0. Logan 9-0-73-1. Randall 9-0-49-0. Boje 9-0-45-0.

Nottinghamshire Innings

P Johnson b Killeen 13

G E Welton c Peng b Killeen 7

U Afzaal c A Pratt b Harmison 10

J E R Gallian c Collingwood b Davies 10

N Boje b Phillips 60

K P Pietersen c A Pratt b Collingwood 85

C M W Read b Killeen 17

S J Randall c Collingwood b Phillips 3

G J Smith lbw b Phillips 3

R J Logan not out 7

A J Harris c A Pratt b Collingwood 3

Extras (lb3 w10 pens 0) 13

Total (all out, 44.4 overs) 231

Fall: 1-13 2-33 3-44 4-53 5-189 6-199 7-205 8-213 9-224 10-231

Bowling: Harmison 9-0-33-1. Killeen 8-0-31-3. Davies 5-0-25-1. Law 5-0-34-0. Phillips 9-0-52-3. Gough 3-0-23-0. Collingwood 5.4-0-30-2.

Durham beat Nottinghamshire by 44 runs