DURHAM'S hopes of qualifying for the NatWest T20 Blast quarter-finals were all but extinguished when they lost their unbeaten home record against Lancashire last night.

The four-run defeat saw them surrender fourth place to Yorkshire and victory in the final game at home to Derbyshire next Friday is unlikely to be enough.

While Mark Wood was not made available, Lancashire secured the release of their England Lions pair, Liam Livingstone and Saqib Mahmood, and both played a crucial role.

The pacy Mahmood, no relation to Sajid, returned when Calum MacLeod was threatening to win it for Durham and struck timber three times in four balls to wreck their chances.

Livingstone made an unbeaten 43 off 24 balls to lift Lancashire's total to 176 for three and Durham finished on 172 for five.

They didn't look like getting that close until an unbroken stand of 48 in 3.5 overs between Paul Coughlin and Keaton Jennings left them needing six off the last ball.

Coughlin lofted Nathan Buck's delivery towards long-on, but it fell ten yards short and earned just the two runs.

Mahmood, 19, showed the sort of pace Durham would have welcomed from Wood, who has also been playing for England Lions. But his recovery from ankle operations is being carefully handled by the ECB.

After arriving in bottom place, the visitors showed some of the nous that won them the title last season. They were not tempted to clear the big boundaries Durham like to employ, sensibly working the ball into spaces as they ticked along to 88-1 after 12 overs before doubling the score in the remaining eight.

There was only one six, but an unbroken stand of 71 in 6.4 overs between Livingstone and Steven Croft put the target beyond Durham's reach.

Lancashire were put in and Chris Rushworth made a terrific start as his first 11 balls cost one one run, plus four byes from a ball which seemed to shoot through low.

Alviro Petersen then guided the last ball of the third over to third man for his first four and repeated the delicate shot when Rushworth stayed on for a third over.

His final ball struck left-hander Luis Reece on the helmet, prompting a delay while a new one was sent for. But in the next over Reece drove at Paul Coughlin and edged behind.

With only two runs coming off that over, Lancashire were 36 at the end of the powerplay, compared with Yorkshire's 77 on Wednesday.

Keaton Jennings was unable to maintain his usual economy after his first ball was edged for four by Karl Brown and his four overs cost 41, with Ryan Pringle unused.

Brown seems much better at this game than the real thing and he opened up on the return of Usman Arshad for the 13th over. Lofted fours over mid-off and to cow corner were followed by a third whipped behind square.

A short ball was then whacked to deep extra cover for three before Petersen drove well wide of off stump and edged behind for 42.

When Brown departed in the next over for 41, lbw trying to sweep Scott Borthwick, Durham would be grateful for having two new men at the crease.

But Livingstone was soon employing the ramp to good effect. There was a good case for posting a backstop as the shot brought him four fours and he also drove Arshad for a powerful straight six.

After Rushworth's final over cost 13, Borthwick was left with the best figures of one for 25, although Coughlin also did a good job with one for 30.

Durham needed a big innings from Phil Mustard if they were to challenge, but he made only eight before skying Jordan Clark to wicketkeeper Tom Moores.

Only 26 came off the first five overs, with Nathan Buck conceding 13 in three, but then Stoneman smashed Clark for two big sixes into the densely-populated seating in front of the pavilion.

When Croft, the third of Lancashire's three spinners, brought himself on for the tenth over Stoneman was bowled for 36 when trying to hit a straight ball over mid-wicket.

MacLeod, ignored for much of the campaign, then offered Durham's best chance of victory as he made 45 off 31 balls.

Finally given a chance in the No 3 position in which he originally unveiled his T20 skills, his laps behind square kept things ticking over while Gordon Muchall settled in.

But once Mahmood had skittled MacLeod, Pringle and Muchall, Durham were left with just too much to do.