Durham stumble out after tie

Durham and Lancashire tied their final Friends Life t20 North Group game at Chester-le-Street as both sides missed out on the quarter-finals.

The teams went into the game knowing a win for either could take them into the last eight, as long as Essex lost against Hampshire in the South Group. A washout at the Rose Bowl, however, gave Essex a point that put them out of Lancashire's reach and left Durham need to complete their run chase in 15.1 overs or less to overturn Essex's advantage on run-rate, which proved beyond the hosts.

After Lancashire, who were put in, struggled to 133 for 8, Glen Chapple bowled superbly, going straight through his four overs to take 1 for 10. He claimed the vital scalp of Herschelle Gibbs, who made 7 before he was trapped in front after stepping across, trying to flip a straight ball to fine leg.

Ben Stokes hit Stephen Parry's fourth ball for a big six before driving the next, a full toss, straight into the hands of long-on. Phil Mustard made 33 before driving a return catch to Gary Keedy then Gareth Cross claimed a catch and a stumping to send back Johann Myburgh and Gordon Muchall and set up the tense finish.

Durham needed 27 off the last three and after a lean series it was one-day captain Dale Benkenstein who almost saw them home, making 28.

He had the target down to six off the last over, then two off three balls. But he tried to hook a bouncer from Ajmal Shahzad and the ball flew off the back of the bat to short cover, where Paul Horton took the catch.

A bye off the next ball tied the scores but when Gareth Breese tried to scamper a single off the last ball he failed to beat Horton's direct hit from the same position in which he caught Benkenstein.

Breese and Scott Borthwick conceded a total of 34 runs in eight overs between them as Lancashire imploded after a good start. At 69 for 1 after nine overs they lost their way as three wickets went down for six runs.

Tom Smith tried to sweep Borthwick's second ball, hitting against the spin of a googly, and was lbw for 29. Then Steven Croft was caught at long-on for 21 off Breese while Karl Brown set off for a suicidal single to silly point and was run out by Mustard.

Wicketkeeper Cross took Lancashire to a competitive total by making 26 before falling to the last ball of the innings.