Hope soared when Durham, with only three Benson and Hedges Cup victories over county opposition in six years, beat Derbyshire, Worcestershire and Scotland to qualify for the quarter- finals for the first time this week.

But disappointment set in yesterday when injuries stripped them of, arguably, their four top players - David Boon, John Morris, Jon Lewis and Simon Brown - and Yorkshire, having dislodged them for 172 in 49.2 overs, sped past 100 in 24 overs for the loss of only two wickets to lay claim to the victory which secures a home tie at the next stage.

Even a Durham side with everybody fully fit and firing on all cylinders would find Yorkshire hard to overtake at present. Darren Gough and Chris Silverwood looked England class claiming three wickets apiece and England 'A' left-arm seamer, Ian Hutchison, took three more as Durham laboured on a two-paced pitch.

It all looked considerably easier when Yorkshire rattled 45 runs off the first five overs and they were well on course for a clean sweep of four wins as skipper David Byas and Darren Lehmann steered them to 115 for two.