WITH his first team future looking increasingly insecure, Phil Mustard has another chance to keep himself in the shop window in the Second XI Trophy final today.

All hope of silverware for the first team has gone, but Durham seconds can win their 50-over event by beating Derbyshire at Chester-le-Street in a day/night match starting at 2pm.

Mustard has lost his LV County Championship place and has struggled to perform his role as a swashbuckling one-day opener, with his strike rate of 77.7 well below that of Mark Stoneman in the Royal London Cup.

The wicketkeeper contributed 24 to their opening stand of 63 in 7.3 overs in Tuesday's quarter-final, which ought to have been a platform for victory.

When Stoneman got out Durham needed Mustard to call on his experience and marshall the rest of the innings. But he lofted a catch to long-on five balls later.

He will again open today with Keaton Jennings, who will captain the team and is still considered to have a bright future, despite also losing his first team place.

With three championship games left in which to ensure the season does not fizzle out, Jennings could be recalled at home to Hampshire next Tuesday after Graham Clark bagged a pair against Middlesex.

The Cumbrian has shown glimpses of his talent, as when thrust into a demanding position on Tuesday night.

It looked a mistake to have the inexperienced pair of Clark and Calum MacLeod trying to repair the damage of losing three wickets in six balls, but they did a good job in a stand of 61 until they followed the openers in getting out in quick succession.

Durham might feel aggrieved about losing their 50-over crown in what virtually became a Twenty20 match. A reserve day was available and after the five-hour break for rain many felt it would have made sense to resume the following morning.

But with the Sky TV cameras present it was felt necessary to get a result on the day, resulting in an 8pm resumption. Many of the paying customers had gone home by then.

When Nottinghamshire resumed their innings they added 76 in the 6.4 overs available. Durham, in contrast, needed 73 off their last nine overs with seven wickets standing and lost them all for the addition of 24.

What no-one outside the dressing room has been able to understand is why the big-hitting John Hastings bats as low as eight in T20 games.

The same applied on Tuesday when he went in with 60 needed off 33 balls after Gordon Muchall got out for five and Ryan Pringle for three.

Hastings had easily Durham's best strike rate of 163 in this season's T20, but playing in every match this season has taken its toll. He continues to soldier on with a shoulder problem but has not taken more than two wickets in a championship innings since his seven for 60 at Worcester.

Paul Collingwood's contribution has also faded, which is hardly surprising in his 40th year after he began the season with a century and a five-wicket haul at Taunton.

It must seem a distant memory now with his team slipping to fifth in the championship after winning six of their first eight games.

The challenge in the last three games will be to end on a high while also creating opportunities for the next generation.