LONDON, June 14: Nicky Peng batted superbly as Durham cruised to a six-wicket win in their opening Twenty20 Cup match against Nottinghamshire at Chester-le-Street on Friday.

The former England Under-19 captain, who is averaging 11.5 in the English county championship this season, thrashed 49 to launch the reply to the visitors’ 157 for seven.

Durham had no need to hurry towards the end and, with Australia-born left-hander Ashley Thorpe making an unbeaten 38, they got home with five balls to spare.

In other matches, Warwickshire beat Somerset by 19 runs, Worcestershire beat Northamptonshire by one wicket, Hampshire beat Sussex by five runs and Surrey beat Middlesex by four wickets.

English cricket has taken its most radical step in over 30 years with this first day of Twenty20 Cup matches.

Administrators are aiming to bring new audiences to the game who they believe are unwilling to watch even a 45 overs match — the shortest form of the game currently played by England’s first-class teams.

Twenty20 matches will last a maximum 20 overs per side — half the length of the old Sunday League which scandalised traditionalists when it started in 1969.—AFP