Durham's hopes of promotion in the Norwich Union League suffered a big setback when they lost by three wickets to Essex at Chester-le-Street today.

After choosing to bat Durham were all out for 178 with two balls of their 45 overs unused and Essex were cruising to victory when Darren Robinson launched the reply with a 49-ball half-century.

But with off-spinner Nicky Phillips taking four wickets, helped by some careless strokes, the visitors slipped from 125 for two to 141 for seven before Jamie Foster and Richard Clinton saw them home with 3.1 overs to spare.

Durham's innings achieved fluency only when Nicky Peng and Martin Love took the score from 29 to 62 between the tenth and 15th overs.

But after Peng was bowled by Ronnie Irani for 29 the introduction of Paul Grayson's left-arm spin posed big problems.

Love tried to push his first ball into the off side and was bowled for 36 and Grayson also removed two other danger men in Paul Collingwood and Danny Law in taking three for 23 in nine overs.

After losing Graham Napier with the score on 23, Essex surprisingly sent in Ashley Cowan at No 3. But he didn't need to go for big shots as Robinson moved into overdrive with three successive fours off Stephen Harmison.

He hit six other boundaries and at 103 for one in the 20th over the game looked as good as won when Robinson went down the pitch and was bowled by Graeme Bridge for 64.

Cowan was the next to surrender, bowled by Phillips for 29, then Stuart Law chipped the second ball he faced tamely to mid-wicket. But Foster stayed calm to finish on 20 not out.

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