LANCASHIRE recorded a dominant victory over Durham by an innings and 18 runs inside three days in their Bob Willis Trophy match at Emirates Riverside.

The Red Rose were in control of the contest after the opening two days and compounded their advantage by passing the 300-run mark with the bat, earning a third bonus point. Entering the Durham second innings with a lead of 128, the visitors were relentless with the ball, and Tom Bailey led the way taking three wickets to remove the home side’s top order.

Liam Hurt then took centre stage, notching his best first-class figures of 4-27. James Franklin’s men were listless with the bat and were dismissed for 110 as only four batsmen passed double figures. Lancashire are now back in contention in the North Group, while Durham are rock bottom after adding just three points to their total.

Durham had a challenge to fight their way back into the match in their second innings, and began in the worst possible manner, losing Alex Lees for a duck to a sublime yorker from Bailey that dislodged his off-stump. Sean Dickson fell for three, edging behind to Davies from another fine Bailey delivery. Durham soon slumped to 5-3 as Cameron Steel continued the procession back to the pavilion as Luke Wood swung a delivery back into his pads. The home side suffered a further blow before lunch when Wood found Gareth Harte’s outside edge, putting the visitors in complete control.

David Bedingham tried to provide impetus after the restart. He made his way to a brisk 25 before he became Bailey’s third victim, being pinned lbw. The visitors kept plugging away and pressured the middle order. Hurt’s introduction into the attack from the Finchale End brought the wickets of Ned Eckersley and Brydon Carse.

The Durham skipper received a ball that rose off the surface and he could only fend it into the hands of Steven Croft. Carse was then trapped lbw on the crease by a swinging delivery from the right-arm seamer.

Jack Burnham offered resistance ensuring that Durham surpassed their lowest first-class total of 61. He played well for his knock of 27, but it ended when he got caught in two minds playing a pull against Hurt, inside edging onto his own stumps. Hurt claimed his fourth wicket when he removed Matt Salisbury, and Durham’s misery ended as Chris Rushworth edged behind.