An unexceptional total of 242 for seven and, in particular, an inability to dismiss Gareth Breese prevented Justin Langer from retiring with the NatWest Pro40 Trophy in Somerset’s keeping.

Durham needed seven to win off the final over and although Alfonso Thomas took a wicket, Scott Borthwick struck the requisite three runs off the fourth ball to leave many an inebriated cider drinker having to melt away from the ground.

Still, this was a splendid finish to the season in front of 5,500 spectators. A stand of 74 between Gordon Muchall, who struck 61 with eight fours, and Breese, who finished unbeaten on 38, amounted to the key partnership, more significant even than the excellent start to the innings provided by Phil Mustard and Ian Blackwell, who put on 79 in only eight overs.

On a square that will be doctored with Mendip loam this winter to provide a better balance between bat and ball, Somerset’s best batsmen did not contribute sufficient runs. Marcus Trescothick struck three fours but was out in the opening over, Langer went for 13 and James Hildreth was stumped off a wide. Arul Suppiah hit a half-century off 29 balls, but that, and 19 off the final over of the innings, did not prove enough.

Just after the finish, a helicopter circled over the County Ground, but there was no trophy on board on this occasion.

Somerset
M E Trescothick lbw b Evans 13
†C Kieswetter c Muchall b Gidman 26
*J L Langer c Mustard b Plunkett 13
Z de Bruyn c Borthwick b Harmison 55
J C Hildreth st Mustard b Borthwick 49
P D Trego c Gidman b Borthwick 0
A V Suppiah not out 52
O A C Banks c Borthwick b Harmison 10
B J Phillips not out 0
Extras (lb 5, w 17, nb 2) 24
Total (7 wkts, 40 overs) 242
A C Thomas and C M Willoughby did not bat.
Fall of wickets: 1-16, 2-51, 3-57, 4-150, 5-150, 6-189, 7-229.
Bowling: Evans 3-0-29-1; Gidman 8-1-18-1; Plunkett 8-1-37-1; Harmison 8-0-60-2; Breese 3-0-22-0; Blackwell 3-0-16-0; Coetzer 4-0-26-0; Borthwick 3-0-29-2.

Durham
†P Mustard c Trego b Willoughby 49
I D Blackwell b Willoughby 26
B W Harmison run out 25
*W R Smith c Thomas b Phillips 13
G J Muchall c Trescothick b De Bruyn 61
K J Coetzer b Phillips 5
G R Breese not out 38
L E Plunkett c sub b Phillips 3
W R S Gidman b Thomas 5
S G Borthwick not out 3
Extras (b 1, lb 8, w 6) 15
Total (8 wkts, 39.4 overs) 243
L Evans did not bat.
Fall of wickets: 1-79, 2-94, 3-119, 4-137, 5-160, 6-224, 7-234, 8-240.
Bowling: Willoughby 8-0-56-2; Thomas 7.4-0-59-1; Phillips 7-0-34-3; Banks 2-0-22-0; Trego 8-0-35-0; De Bruyn 7-0-28-1. Umpires: J W Lloyds and P Willey.

NatWest Pro40: First division
Nottinghamshire v Gloucestershire Trent Bridge (Nottinghamshire won toss): Gloucestershire (2pts) beat Nottinghamshire by nine wickets
Nottinghamshire
M J Wood lbw b Hussain 4
A D Brown c Payne b Hussain 0
A D Hales c Ali b Ireland 0
S R Patel c Dent b Ireland 2
A Patel b Lewis 41
K J O’Brien c Adshead b Ireland 6
*†C M W Read c Lewis b Payne 0
M A Ealham c Adshead b Payne 0
B T McGuire b Payne 0
D J Pattinson not out 3
A Carter c Dent b Lewis 0
Extras (w 1) 1
Total (18.5 overs) 57
Fall of wickets: 1-4, 2-4, 3-4, 4-11, 5-17, 6-29, 7-29, 8-29, 9-57.
Bowling: Ireland 8-4-10-3; Hussain 5-1-17-2; Payne 4-1-10-3; Lewis 1.5-0-20-2.

Gloucestershire
K Ali not out 30
W T S Porterfield lbw b S R Patel 7
H J H Marshall not out 19
Extras (w 2) 2
Total (1 wkt, 7.3 overs) 58
C G Taylor, †S J Adshead, *R K J Dawson, J Lewis, C D J Dent, A J Ireland, D A Payne and G M Hussain did not bat.
Fall of wicket: 1-10.
Bowling: S R Patel 4-1-32-1; O’Brien 1-0-7-0; Pattinson 1-0-8-0; Ealham 1.3-0-11-0. Umpires: N G B Cook and R T Robinson.

Yorkshire v Essex Headingley Carnegie (Essex won toss): Essex (2pts) beat Yorkshire by seven wickets
Yorkshire
A W Gale c Foster b Napier 8
J E Root b Napier 63
A Lyth b Westfield 15
*A McGrath c Flower b Napier 34
†J M Bairstow b Phillips1
G S Ballance st Foster b Kaneria 33
R M Pyrah not out 12
L J Hodgson c Foster b Napier 9
D J Wainwright not out 2
Extras (lb 2, w 8) 10
Total (7 wkts, 40 overs) 187
S A Patterson and J E Lee did not bat.
Fall of wickets: 1-13, 2-41, 3-114, 4-115, 5-161, 6-165, 7-177.
Bowling: Napier 8-0-33-4; Wright 7-0-29-0; Westfield 4-0-24-1; Ten Doeschate 4-0-21-0; Kaneria 8-0-38-1; Phillips 6-0-27-1; Flower 3-0-13-0.

Essex
*M L Pettini not out 101
A N Cook c Root b Lee 23
G R Napier c Bairstow b Pyrah 17
R N ten Doeschate c Pyrah b Lee 14
†J S Foster not out 25
Extras (b 1, lb 2, w 6) 9
Total (3 wkts, 33.3 overs) 189
J K Maunders, G W Flower, T J Phillips, M S Westfield, C J C Wright and Danish Kaneria to bat.
Fall of wickets: 1-44, 2-73, 3-121.
Bowling: Lee 6-0-43-2; Patterson 6.3-0-45-0; Pyrah 5-0-19-1; Hodgson 6-0-32-0; Wainwright 8-1-36-0; Lyth 2-0-11-0. Umpires: M J D Bodenham and N G Cowley.

Second division
Derbyshire v Glamorgan
Derby (Derbyshire won toss): Glamorgan (2pts) beat Derbyshire by five wickets
Derbyshire
W L Madsen c Allenby b Harrison 0
C F Hughes c Maynard b Shantry 27
G M Smith lbw b Ashling 11
G T Park b Allenby 49
D J Redfern c Wallace b Allenby 27
P M Borrington lbw b Cosker 25
*†D J Pipe c and b Cosker 16
G G Wagg c Dalrymple b Harrison 21
J L Clare not out 22
R A Whiteley b Harrison 0
J Needham not out 3
Extras (lb 4, w 5, nb 4) 13
Total (9 wkts, 40 overs) 214
Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-28, 3-52, 4-103, 5-142, 6-160, 7-177, 8-197, 9-197.
Bowling: Harrison 8-1-55-3; Shantry 8-2-29-1; Ashling 7-0-49-1; Allenby 8-0-23-2; Cosker 4-1-27-2; Wright 2-0-11-0; Dalrymple 3-0-16-0.

Glamorgan
*J W M Dalrymple b Wagg 3
J Allenby b Park 60
W D Bragg lbw b Needham 27
T L Maynard not out 69
B J Wright b Madsen 26
N A James c and b Madsen 4
†M A Wallace not out 16
Extras (lb 6, nb 4) 10
Total (5 wkts, 38.5 overs) 215
A J Shantry, D A Cosker, C P Ashling and D S Harrison did not bat.
Fall of wickets: 1-7, 2-91, 3-101, 4-167, 5-173.
Bowling: Smith 8-0-46-0; Wagg 7-0-24-1; Whiteley 2-0-16-0; Clare 2-0-16-0; Park 7.5-0-39-1; Needham 6-0-36-1; Hughes 2-0-14-0; Madsen 4-0-18-2. Umpires: S A Garratt and R A Kettleborough.

Kent v Northamptonshire
Canterbury (Northamptonshire won toss): Northamptonshire (2pts) beat Kent by 99 runs
Northamptonshire
S D Peters c Blake b Ferley 47
†N J O’Brien c Hockley b Tredwell 72
R A White not out 70
A G Wakely c Azhar b Tredwell 12
M H Wessels c Blake b Hockley 17
*N Boje c Kemp b Hockley 9
D J Willey c Stevens b Azhar 8
G G White not out 4
Extras (lb 1, w 2, nb 2) 5
Total (6 wkts, 40 overs) 244
D S Lucas, L M Daggett and J A Brooks did not bat.
Fall of wickets: 1-101, 2-138, 3-161, 4-196, 5-211, 6-227.
Bowling: Azhar 8-1-57-1; Edwards 3-0-31-0; Coles 3-0-33-0; Stevens 2-0-16-0; Ferley 8-0-31-1; Tredwell 8-0-43-2; Hockley 8-0-32-2.

Kent
S A Northeast c Willey b Lucas 9
J B Hockley c and b Boje 55
A J Blake c O’Brien b Lucas 0
D I Stevens c O’Brien b Lucas 13
*J M Kemp c G G White b Lucas 1
Azhar Mahmood b G G White 36
J C Tredwell c O’Brien b Boje 2
†P G Dixey c Wakely b G G White16
R S Ferley lbw b G G White 0
M T Coles c R A White b Daggett 5
P Edwards not out 1
Extras (lb 4, w 3) 7
Total (31.5 overs) 145
Fall of wickets: 1-16, 2-24, 3-48, 4-58, 5-103, 6-118, 7-121, 8-125, 9-136.
Bowling: Lucas 8-1-28-4; Brooks 5-0-27-0; Daggett 5-0-24-1; Boje 6-0-20-2; G G White 7.5-0-42-3.
Umpires: N J Llong and D J Millns.

Lancashire v Warwickshire
Old Trafford (Lancashire won toss): Warwickshire (2pts) beat Lancashire by three wickets
Lancashire
T C Smith lbw b Carter 11
L A Proctor c Bell b Woakes 2
P J Horton c Woakes b Barker 17
S J Croft c Troughton b Piolet 70
*M J Chilton c Woakes b Barker 4
†G D Cross lbw b Piolet 34
S J Mullaney lbw b Botha 10
K W Hogg b Botha 5
S D Parry c Botha b Carter 0
S I Mahmood not out 3
G Keedy c Clarke b Barker 3
Extras (lb 3, w 4) 7
Total (39.5 overs) 166
Fall of wickets: 1-13, 2-21, 3-41, 4-47, 5-110, 6-129, 7-139, 8-159, 9-160.
Bowling: Carter 7-1-23-2; Woakes 8-2-19-1; Barker 5.5-0-23-3; Clarke 5-0-21-0; Botha 8-0-37-2; Piolet 6-0-40-2.

Warwickshire
I J L Trott c Horton b Smith 86
N M Carter c Mullaney b Mahmood 0
I R Bell c Chilton b Keedy 28
J O Troughton c Parry b Keedy 8
†T R Ambrose lbw b Parry 2
*I J Westwood c Hogg b Mullaney 22
R Clarke not out 13
A G Botha run out 4
K H D Barker not out 0
Extras (b 1, w 3) 4
Total (7 wkts, 40 overs) 167
C R Woakes and S A Piolet did not bat.
Fall of wickets: 1-8, 2-69, 3-83, 4-88, 5-135, 6-162, 7-166.
Bowling: Hogg 6-0-27-0; Mahmood 8-0-39-1; Mullaney 4-0-25-1; Smith 6-0-28-1; Keedy 8-0-23-2; Parry 8-0-24-1.
Umpires: P J Hartley and T E Jesty.

Leicestershire v Surrey
Leicester (Surrey won toss): Surrey (2pts) beat Leicestershire by four wickets
Leicestershire
J G E Benning b Spriegel 47
†T J New c Lancefield b Linley 17
J W A Taylor not out 83
*M A G Boyce c Walters b Smith 2
P A Nixon retired hurt 44
J du Toit b Dernbach 18
W A White not out 2
Extras (b 4, lb 6, w 2) 12
Total (4 wkts, 40 overs) 225
J K H Naik, C W Henderson, N L Buck and H F Gurney did not bat.
Fall of wickets: 1-54, 2-80, 3-87, 4-218.
Bowling: Dernbach 8-1-35-1; Logan 7-1-41-0; Linley 8-0-39-1; Jewell 4-0-31-0; Spriegel 7-1-31-1; Smith 5-0-27-1; Schofield 1-0-11-0.

Surrey
J J Roy c New b Gurney 6
T J Lancefield c New b Buck 20
*S J Walters c New b White 18
†G C Wilson lbw b White 13
C P Schofield run out 11
M N W Spriegel not out 81
T M J Smith b Benning 65
T M Jewell not out 0
Extras (lb 5, w 7, nb 2) 14
Total (6 wkts, 39.1 overs) 228
J W Dernbach, T E Linley and R J Logan did not bat.
Fall of wickets: 1-28, 2-28, 3-60, 4-66, 5-98, 6-224.
Bowling: Gurney 7.1-0-39-1; Buck 8-0-54-1; White 5-1-16-2; Benning 6-0-33-1; Naik 5-0-40-0; Henderson 8-0-41-0.
Umpires: J H Evans and N A Mallender.