Impressive Durham set up a big day at Old Trafford

They continued to look a very well-balanced and skilful one-day outfit, and were razor-sharp in the field as they brushed aside last season's beaten finalists Warwickshire by 66 runs at Riverside.

Just as in Monday's win against Northamptonshire, the match was reduced to 36 overs a side after a 1.15 start and after being put in Durham made 224 for five.

With the root-break problem which afflicted Riverside pitches apparently having been thoroughly sorted out, this was not necessarily a winning total against such a strong batting side.

But with Phil Mustard running 25 yards to hold a fine catch off Ottis Gibson, and Mick Lewis seeing off England's Ian Bell and the in-from Jonathan Trott Warwickshire were swiftly reduced to 32 for three.

Nick Knight was still there, but Paul Collingwood impressively shrugged off his bowling nightmare on Monday to have him caught by Mustard for 23 in his second over and continued to turn the screw.

Durham's innings was anchored by 61 off 87 balls from Jon Lewis, with the momentum increasing through a run-a-ball half-century from Collingwood.

The final thrust came from Mustard thrashing 18 off ten balls, Gary Pratt 30 off 18 and Dale Benkenstein 19 off six, which included two sixes.

Durham continue to show great faith in Jon Lewis, who didn't open in one-day matches during his time as captain.

In shortened contests such as this one there must be a temptation to send in a swifter scorer to open, especially in a line-up which has Mustard at No 8.

But Durham prefer the experience and reliability of Lewis to give them a solid start, which he did with his 73-ball half-century.

He is not a six-hitter, however, and when he tried a lofted straight drive off Heath Streak he got too far underneath it, allowing Alex Louden to run round from mid-off and hold a good catch.

That made it 138 for two in the 28th over, and at the same stage of the Warwickshire innings they had four more runs on the board than Durham when Louden drove to long-off for 36.

But as he was sixth out it proved the value of wickets in hand and any potential danger quickly vanished as Streak was bowled leg stump behind his legs by Gareth Breese.

The off-spinner picked up four wickets and last man James Anyon was run out by Pratt's direct hit from cover as Warwickshire were all out for 158 with 5.5 overs remaining.

Mustard was promoted in Durham's order, going in when Lewis was out. He patted back the first ball he received from off-spinner Louden, tried to sweep the second and top-edged it for four then drove the third for a straight six.

In the next over he drove a slower ball from Anyon over extra cover for six and Collingwood followed up with a six over long-on to reach 50.

Both fell in the next over, Mustard miscuing a pull off Louden to be caught on the mid-wicket boundary on the short side of the ground.

Collingwood tried a reverse paddle off a full-length ball and looked surprised to be adjudged lbw, which suggested he might have got an edge on it.

With the two men most likely to launch a late onslaught going in quick succession, it seemed Durham might only scrape past the minimum requirement of 200.

But the remaining five overs produced 53 runs with Pratt's unbeaten 30 featuring some quicksilver running and four fours, two of them to fine leg off the first two balls of the 34th over, bowled by Neil Carter.

The left-armer also bowled the final over, in which Benkenstein just failed to clear the rope at long-on off the first ball but deposited the last one into the crowd as 17 came off the over.

The innings had built perfectly to this tremendous crescendo from a quiet opening in which seven of the eight runs on the board after three overs came from extras.

Streak, who has already bowled 150 overs in the championship, struggled with his line, bowling five wides.

The score was 33 after eight overs when he took himself off and brought on Carter, who had Jimmy Maher well caught at extra cover by Louden off a leading edge.

Lewis had made only six until he straight drove Dougie Brown for four in the tenth over and followed up with a delicate dab to third man for four off Carter.

While waiting for their second overseas man, Daniel Vettori, to arrive, Warwickshire included two South Africans with British passports in Trott and seamer Tim Groenewald and also had to call up Danish wicketkeeper Freddie Klokker following injuries to Tim Ambrose and Tony Frost.

When Groenewald came on at 100 for one after 21 overs Collingwood picked up his first ball behind square for six, then Lewis drove him through extra cover for his fourth four to reach 50.

Streak returned and Collingwood survived on 37 when Klokker failed to hang on to a very similar steepler to the one later held by Mustard at backward square leg.

The stand was worth 103 in 19 overs when Lewis was out, and Mustard's two sixes provided the perfect launching pad for the addition of a further 86 runs at ten an over.

With the England A game against Sri Lanka finishing a day ahead of schedule, Durham were again able to include Liam Plunkett at the expense of Neil Killeen.

Plunkett had earlier practised on the edge of the square with Steve Harmison but had only a small part to play in the match and was out of luck when Jim Troughton twice edged him in his first over.

There was no need of any Plunkett heroics, however, following the damage inflicted by Mick Lewis.

Although he looked unlucky not to have left-hander Carter lbw in his first over, the Australian had similar early troubles to Streak before striking his telling blows.

Bell was only half forward to a ball which nipped in to have him lbw for a duck, then Trott played back to a beauty which took the edge on the way to Breese at first slip.

There was no need for Lewis to return to complete his allotted overs as Breese finished the job with four for 36, while Collingwood was the most economical with one for 21 in seven overs.

He will be missed at Old Trafford, but Durham will go there with confidence for what could be the pivotal match in the nothern group.

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