Lancashire gallop into semi-finals at expense of Durham

Andy Flintoff and Neil Fairbrother linked up to steer Lancashire to a comfortable C&G quarter-final victory over Durham in Blackpool.

The visitors could only muster 198 for eight in their 50 overs after being put in, despite a half-century from Paul Collingwood.

And Lancashire cruised home with seven wickets and 11.2 overs to spare, with Flintoff and Fairbrother putting on 136 in 25 overs for the third wicket.

They came together with Lancashire in a spot of bother at 46 for two after Mike Atherton had gone lbw to young Durham seamer Mark Davies, and Glen Chapple was brilliantly stumped down the leg side by Andrew Pratt standing up to Danny Law.

But both provided rich entertainment for a sun-baked Stanley Park crowd.

Fairbrother was first to his 50 from 51 balls and moved to 73 from 75 with six fours and two sixes off Graham Bridge, who finally had him caught at mid off.

Flintoff saw the job through with an unbeaten 72 from 87 balls including nine fours and two sixes, an encouraging and timely return to form for the England all-rounder, who has been struggling for runs in the CricInfo Championship but has now scored 177 runs in three innings in the C&G Trophy and only been out once. He also took two for 46 in eight overs, and was named man of the match.

Gary Yates had been Lancashire's bowling hero on his first appearance of the season. The off-spinner, who was an unsung mainstay of Lancashire's domination of one-day cricket during the last decade, bowled his 10 overs straight through to take two for 23.

He claimed the crucial wicket of Martin Love in his second over, lbw for 38 in 48 balls as he tried to sweep.

Yates also bowled Martin Speight for a duck, and with Chris Schofield taking a return catch to dismiss Jon Lewis, Durham lost their momentum against the Lancashire spinners.

Collingwood did his best with 60 from 92 balls, reaching his half-century with a six off Schofield and also hitting three fours.

But Flintoff returned to have him caught at cover by Mike Atherton off bat and pad, and despite an unbeaten 26 in 20 balls from the impressive Pratt, Durham's total never looked likely to be enough.