CHESTER-LE-STREET, Durham

(CMC):

JAMAICAN ALL-ROUNDER Gareth Breese kept his composure and guided defending champions Durham to a tense one-wicket victory over Nottinghamshire in their Friends Provident Trophy quarter-final match on Wednesday.

Breese picked up two wickets in Nottinghamshire's score of 188 all out in 47.2 overs, and then stroked a vital unbeaten 34 as Durham snatched a tense victory with one over to spare, ending at 189 for nine.

Electing to bat, Nottinghamshire got a fantastic century from Samit Patel, but not much from anyone else.

Stood alone

The 23-year-old right-hander, batting at number five struck 114 off 113 balls with 17 fours and two sixes and stood alone against the Durham bowling attack. Graeme Swann, with 18, was the next highest scorer.

The Harmison brothers, Ben (2-33) and Steve (2-40), shared four wickets and there were two wickets apiece for opening bowler Callum Thorp (2-20) and Breese, picking up two for 50 off eight overs with his off-spin.

When Durham began their bid for the 189-run target, Australian Michael Di Venuto (70) and number-three batsman Will Smith (41) were solid at the top and steered the home side to a comfortable 127 for one, but Smith's dismissal triggered a collapse.

Middle-order batsmen Neil McKenzie and captain Dale Benkenstein both fell for three and Patel followed up his solid batting with a three-wicket burst with his left-arm spin that helped reduce Durham to a perilous 167 for eight from a position of almost certain victory.

Breese, batting at number eight, then stroked 34 off 37 balls with three fours and a six to squeeze the champions into the semi-finals.

With 12 runs needed off the last two overs, Breese began with a chancy single that exposed Mark Davies. But the number 11 batsman scrambled one to restore Breese on strike. The 32-year-old Breese, who played one Test match for West Indies, against India in 2002, then played assertively and smashed a four and a six to win the game for Durham.