Brown best sends Lancashire top

Karl Brown hit a career-best 62 off 42 balls and Kabir Ali claimed 3 for 30 as Lancashire moved top of the North Group with a 25-run win over Durham at Old Trafford. It was their third straight victory in the Friends Life t20.

Scott Borthwick also returned his best of 62 off 51, but it was not enough for Durham to chase down Lancashire's 170 for five.

Brown opened the batting following an injury to Tom Smith and he took the attack to Durham from the off after Lancashire won the toss. After being dropped by Ryan Pringle off the bowling of Will Smith at backward point on 37 he posted a second 50 this season off 36 balls.

Brown hit nine fours and a six as he shared an 85-run opening stand with Stephen Moore before he was caught at long-on off the bowling of Gareth Breese. Moore quickly followed to Borthwick for a run-a-ball 18. And Borthwick, who finished with two for 26, soon picked up his second wicket as Steven Croft was also caught by Michael Richardson.

Simon Katich got Lancashire's innings back on track as he continued his impressive form with the bat, sharing a 39-run partnership in 23 balls with Ashwell Prince before the South African was caught on 17 by Ben Stokes to become Chris Rushworth's first victim.

But Katich continued to finish not out on 40 off 30 balls, with Gareth Cross hitting 14 from just seven before he was out off the final ball of the innings, caught by Gordon Muchall off Rushworth.

Lancashire made an early breakthrough thanks to a stunning one-handed diving catch by Simon Kerrigan at mid-on to dismiss Mark Stoneman off the bowling of Kabir for seven in the third over. And Kabir struck again three overs later when Phil Mustard was caught at midwicket by Prince for 24 to leave Durham 36 for 2.

Smith was next to go as he was caught at long-on by Croft off the bowling of Arron Lilley for 10 and when Stokes was also caught by Croft, this time off Kerrigan's bowling for nine, Durham were 98 for 4 in the 15th.

Borthwick kept Durham's fading hopes alive before he was caught by Brown with nine balls to go as Kabir claimed his third wicket to wrap up the points for Lancashire.