MOEEN Ali prevented a complete disaster for Worcestershire but they still slumped to a 143-run hammering at Durham in the Friends Provident Trophy.

The hosts went top of the trophy's northern conference with the convincing victory at Chester-le-Street which featured 86 off 83 balls from Moeen on his first-team debut.

Worcestershire's left-handed batsman hit eight fours and four sixes before becoming the fourth of five victims for off-spinner Gareth Breese.

Veteran Graeme Hick added 37 off 22 balls after going in at 17-3 but otherwise it was another day to forget for most of the County's players who could only muster 189 all out.

For Durham, Will Smith made his maiden limited-overs century in their record one-day total of 332-4.

Steve Harmison and Liam Plunkett struggled with the latter going for 42 runs in seven overs after taking a wicket with his second ball when Hick drove to extra cover.

Moeen was ninth out when he went for another big hit off Breese and was caught at slip, then Doug Bollinger's dismissal ensured Worcestershire were all out in 33.5 overs.

Bollinger's wayward bowling after Durham won the toss set the hosts off to a flying start as Michael Di Venuto and Phil Mustard had 66 on the board after eight overs.

Di Venuto ran himself out for 49, then the introduction of spinners Ray Price and Gareth Batty applied the brakes.

Mustard fell for 46, sweeping Price to deep midwicket, then New Zealand star Scott Styris was dismissed by Kyle Hogg.

Dale Benkenstein (94 not out) motored past Smith off 66 balls but Smith completed his century before falling to Kabir Ali. Styris pulled off a fine catch off the first ball of Worcestershire's second over to get rid of Phil Jaques.

It became 6-2 when Neil Killeen had Vikram Solanki lbw then Ottis Gibson rattled Ben Smith's off-stump before Hick and Moeen put on 62.

But, once Hick departed, Harmison picked up a wicket when Steve Davies edged to second slip and the rest surrendered to Breese, whose 5-49 was his best one-day figures for Durham.