GLEN Chapple staged a thrilling Lancashire rescue act and admitted "that was the best one-day innings of my career".

The scoreboard read badly enough when Earby-based Chapple came in, with Lightning 24 for four and Durham's total of 197 way in the distance.

But the reality was even worse with Iain Sutcliffe on his way to hospital after fracturing his cheekbone, meaning they were effectively five wickets down.

All this on top of two dismal batting performances in the previous two days which had ended their interest in the Twenty20 Cup.

"We looked down and out, to be honest," said manager Mike Watkinson, who admitted that another defeat in the National League would have been a huge blow - to team morale, as well as their promotion hopes.

But Chapple, who had already taken three for 38 to become the leading wicket taker in the Second Division with 13, refused to throw in the towel.

When Chris Schofield went for 25 with the score on 58, Lancashire's cause looked as hopeless as it had been when Chapple hit a half century in the Twenty20 defeat by Leicester on Friday.

But there are few better men to have at the other end in a crisis than Warren Hegg, and together with his captain, Chapple started dragging Durham's total into reach.

The sixth wicket pair put on 74 in 17 overs but when Hegg was bowled after making 39 from 48 balls, the hopes of a 3,000 crowd sunk again.

However, Kyle Hogg came in to show his all-round credentials with one of his best innings yet for Lancashire, an impressively composed 22.

And by the time Hogg was bowled in the 44th over, there were only four more runs needed from 11 balls after Chapple launched Neil Killeen for three stunning boundaries over cover in the previous over - two fours, and a six into the members enclosure.

Peter Martin, who had earlier defied his back injury to bowl his nine overs straight through for 32, took a few balls to get his eye in, then launched Vince Wells over mid-off for four to complete a famous Lancashire win.

They are now second in the Second Division, two points clear of Middlesex and six behind the leaders Northants.