David Bedingham, Alex Lees and Will Rhodes were in the runs as Durham Second XI got their T20 campaign up and running two wins over Lancashire at Banks Homes Riverside.
Game 1: Durham 2XI 159/4 beat Lancashire 2XI 158/6 by six wickets
In a strong-looking Durham side, James Minto struck with the first ball of the match dismissing George Harris.
Captain George Bell and Rocky Flintoff shared 62 from 49 balls before Will Rhodes claimed wickets in back-to-back overs, Flintoff departing for a run-a-ball 23 and Kesh Fonseka thinly edging behind on three, with the visitors 79/3.
Bell put on 40 with Jack Blatherwick before both fell within 10 balls as George Drissell and Matthew Potts claimed one wicket apiece.
Minto picked up his second on the final ball of the innings as Lancashire posted 158/6.
Bell top scored for his side with 55 from 48 balls with Rhodes claiming 2/7 and Minto 2/35.
Blatherwick dismissed Graham Clark on the second ball of Durham’s innings but David Bedingham and Alex Lees led the hosts to a convincing victory with a partnership of 129 from just 47 balls.
Bedingham blasted 79 from just 26 balls with eight fours and six sixes whilst Lees added 46 from 21 balls in their third-wicket stand before the South African was caught off Blatherwick.
Lancashire took two consolation wickets with Lees falling for 63 from 32 featuring eight fours and three sixes but Durham went on to claim a six-wicket win with 7.5 overs to spare.
Game 2: Durham 2XI 100/2 beat Lancashire 97 by eight wickets
Minto got Durham off to a flyer in the second game as he dislodged Harris’ off stump in a wicket maiden before removing Flintoff for 10 in the third over.
Luke Robinson took Durham’s third on the penultimate ball of the powerplay reducing the Red Rose to 39/3.
Lancashire added a further 15 before a flurry of wickets saw them fall from 54/3 to 65/8 with a pair of wickets each for Callum Parkinson and Colin Ackermann whilst Drissell claimed one scalp.
Minto returned to claim his third and collect figures of 3-14 from four overs.
Fonseka provided the only real resistance for the visitors before holing out to Drissell on 46 as Lancashire were bowled out for 97.
In response, Durham cruised to an eight-wicket win inside 10 overs as Will Rhodes top scored with an unbeaten 38 from 21 balls, finishing off the game with a pair of sixes.
Ackermann finished 14 not out whilst Ollie Robinson added 21 and Clark 13.