Having won the toss and electing to field first, Mitchell Claydon struck in the second over with his sixth delivery, bowling Steven Moore for 7 with Lancashire 9-1. Durham fielded well in the power play with the hosts managing to add just 37 to their total in the first six overs.
A cracking diving catch from Will Smith saw Tom Smith dismissed off Gareth Breese’s first delivery as Lancashire fell to 46-2 after 7.1 overs.
The hosts scored steadily but not with great speed. The third Lancashire wicket fell in the 16th over, with Lancashire 126-3, when Steven Croft, having just scored a 34 ball fifty, spooned a Paul Collingwood delivery up high which Breese positioned himself under and took with ease.
A direct hit from Gordon Muchall from long on saw the second batsman of the innings, Karl Brown dismissed on 51, with 1.4 overs remaining.
Claydon claimed his second delivery, bowling Gareth Cross for 2, with the first delivery of the final over with Lancashire posting 161 in their innings.
The Dynamos lost Phil Mustard in the first over, to Maharoof after he was caught by Luke Procter for 1. The score fell to 22-2 after Blackwell was caught by Gary Keedy off Procter for 4 in the next over.
Collingwood and Dale Benkenstein were dismissed within six deliveries, the first bowled around the legs by Junaid Khan for 3 and the latter bowled by Parry for 5.
The Dynamos were 45-5 in the eighth over after Muchall was stumped off Keedy for 13. With big hitting required to boost the total both Breese and Smith were caught going for big shots with Maharoof running in from the boundary to catch Breese off Parry, in his second over, for 4 and Smith (11) becoming Keedy’s second victim when he was caught by Croft.
With seven overs remaining the Dynamos required 90 runs with Scott Borthwick 11* and Liam Plunkett 2* at the crease.
Borthwick, dropped on 20 after the sun got the better of three of the fielders, ignited a late rally with Plunkett but couldn’t quite make up for the stuttered start of the innings. The 46 run partnership was brought to end when Borthwick, who scored 30 off 28 balls, was run out in the 18th over.
With 47 runs required from the final two overs a win was pretty much out of reach and when Plunkett tried to pre-empt a quick single he was run out on 41 with a delivery to go. The Dynamos finished 26 runs in the end.
Durham Dynamos return to action this Sunday (3 July, 2.30pm start) when they face Worcestershire Royals at Emirates Durham ICG. Tickets are priced at £17.50 for adults and £6 for juniors on the gate. A pass for the remaining three home fixtures is priced at £30 for adults and £10.50 for juniors.