AUSTRALIAN Corey Richards str-oked a superb unbeaten 88 as Scotland opened their C&G Trophy account with a dramatic eight-run win over Worcestershire at the Citylets Grange in Edinburgh.

In a match reduced to twenty-five overs a side the Scots, heavily defeated by Warwickshire and Nottinghamshire last weekend, were in early trouble after being sent in to bat.

However, Richards and fellow Aussie Ian Moran helped them recover from 77-5 to set a challenging 187-6.

The pair put on 91 with Richards facing just 70 balls and hitting 10 boundaries and two sixes while Moran faced only 28 balls for his 42 - which featured four boundaries.

In reply Worcestershire skipper Vikram Solanki and veteran Graeme Hick both hit half-centuries, but the Scottish bowlers stuck manfully to their task, with young Clydesdale left-arm spinner Ross Lyons bowling five tidy overs for just 26 runs.

With Worcestershire needing 18 from the final over and Hick in full flight, Dewald Nel held his nerve as the Scots completed their first win of the campaign.

In other C&G matches, early North Conference leaders Lancashire en-joyed a comfortable day's work at Northampton, winning by eight wickets.

The hosts posted 172 for nine after England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff took three for 30 and Dominic Cork three for 23.

After the dismissals of Mal Loye (10) and captain Mark Chilton (28), Brad Hodge and Stuart Law saw their side over the finishing line inside 38.4 overs with 67 and 63 respectively.

Warwickshire surrendered meekly to Durham at the Riverside as the hosts won by 66 runs.

Durham reached 224-5 in their rain-affected innings of 36 overs with opener Jon Lewis reaching 61 with support from Paul Collingwood (53).

Alex Loudon's 36 was the best the Bears could muster in reply as Gareth Breese took four for 36 in the Durham attack.

Yorkshire's match against Notting-hamshire was abandoned without a ball being bowled at Headingley.

In the South Conference, Hamp-shire failed to gain ground on leaders Gloucestershire as they lost to Middlesex by 13 runs.

Opener Ed Smith's 88 helped steer Middlesex to 254 all out after being put into bat at Uxbridge, where Ed Joyce contributed 43.

The visitors laboured in response as Melvyn Betts and Chris Silverwood claimed two wickets apiece and Chad Keegan took three for 52 to dismiss them for 241.

Essex enjoyed a comfortable eight-wicket victory over Ireland at Chelmsford as England batsman Alastair Cook hit an unbeaten 91.