Mohammad Yousuf’s introduction to county cricket featured all the classics of the Manchester Bank Holiday: severe transport disruption, prolonged rain and a match reduced to 23 overs per side. Happily for Lancashire, outstanding bowling from Andrew Flintoff left them with only 152 to chase. Even better for Yousuf, whose dismissal had apparently cost them the match, the 23-year-old Steven Croft stepped up to add the final element.

For the second time in his young career, Croft hit a six off the last ball to steal the contest. A similar blow from the young batsman had put paid to Leicestershire in the Twenty20 Cup two years ago. Yousuf, on 32, began the final over with 12 wanted but, top-edging a slash, fell immediately. Croft, needing to clear the boundary from the ultimate ball, drove Graham Onions inches over the extra-cover rope.

Scoreboard

Durham

M J Di Venuto b Flintoff 66

†P Mustard c Cross b Hogg 6

K J Coetzer c Mohammad Yousuf b Anderson 6

P D Collingwood c Law b Hogg 0

N D McKenzie c Sutton b Flintoff 12

*D M Benkenstein c Flintoff b Croft 40

B W Harmison c and b Anderson 6

G R Breese not out 6

Extras (b 2, lb 4, w 3) 9

Total (7 wkts, 23 overs) 151

G Onions, S J Harmison and N Killeen did not bat.

Fall of wickets: 1-13, 2-30, 3-30, 4-60, 5-121, 6-141, 7-151.

Bowling: Anderson 5-0-40-2; Hogg 5-0-24-2; Flintoff 5-0-13-2; Croft 3-0-26-1; Marshall 3-0-24-0; Mullaney 2-0-18-0.

Lancashire

M B Loye c Mustard b S J Harmison 58

G D Cross c Collingwood b S J Harmison 19

*S G Law c S J Harmison b Breese 9

Mohammad Yousuf c Benkenstein b Onions 32

A Flintoff c McKenzie b Collingwood 10

S J Croft not out 10

S J Mullaney not out 4

Extras (lb 5, w 5) 10

Total (5 wkts, 23 overs) 152

†L D Sutton, K W Hogg, J M Anderson and S J Marshall did not bat.

Fall of wickets: 1-35, 2-61, 3-111, 4-130, 5-140.

Bowling: Killeen 5-1-32-0; Onions 4-0-34-1; S J Harmison 5-0-33-2; Collingwood 4-0-22-1; Breese 5-0-26-1.

Umpires: G I Burgess and S A Garratt.