Durham clinched promotion in the Norwich Union League when they beat Worcestershire by nine runs under the Duckworth/Lewis method at Chester-le-Street.

Hampshire's defeat by Middlesex means Worcestershire can still go up if they win their last match at home Essex next week, despite a run of three defeats and two no-results.

Worcestershire were cruising at 83 without loss in the 13th over in pursuit of a revised target of 208 in 39 overs. Danny Law then took three wickets, including the brilliant leg-side stumping of Graeme Hick for two by Andrew Pratt.

Third umpire Barrie Leadbeater was again called into action three overs later when Pratt kicked the ball into the stumps and Vikram Solanki was run out.

Pratt also made 56 in his role as a pinch-hitting opener and held two catches standing up to the seamers as Worcestershire struggled to 198 for nine.

Durham's other hero was skipper Jon Lewis, who made 76 not out off 66 balls, scoring almost all the 43 runs they took off the last five overs.

After the first of two showers the match was reduced to 41 overs a side and Durham reached 212 for five helped by some sloppy fielding which saw three catches go down. The costliest was substitute Duncan Catterall's miss at long-on with Lewis on 23.

Worcestershire had reached 27 after six overs when the next shower brought the revised target. Phil Weston blasted seven fours in three overs on the resumption, but the transformation came when Law switched ends to replace Steve Harmison. Opener Anurag Singh was Worcestershire's top scorer with 58 off 71 balls.

© CricInfo