Leaders Nottinghamshire crashed to a 210-run defeat against Durham at Chester-le-Street but still hold a commanding lead with two games remaining in LV= County Championship Division One.

Nottinghamshire took six points from the match to lead Somerset by 22, and Yorkshire, who go to Trent Bridge next week, are a further three adrift.

After being set a victory target of 391 in 78 overs, on a pitch on which Durham added 82 in just over an hour in the morning, the visitors' attempts to bat out the day were undermined by Ben Harmison suddenly taking three wickets in four balls.

With Mark Davies taking no further part after developing a sciatic nerve problem on the second day, Durham also lost Liam Plunkett, who limped off after bowling two overs with the new ball. Harmison was on for the fifth over of the innings and conceded 24 in four overs before lunch but with the score on 51 for one he suddenly got it right in his seventh over.

Alex Hales pushed forward and edged to Michael Di Venuto at second slip before Australian Adam Voges also pushed forward, edged it to wicketkeeper Phil Mustard. The hat-trick ball was short and wide, allowing Samit Patel to collect two easy runs, but the next delivery pinned him lbw on the back foot.

A stand of 30 between Mark Wagh and Ali Brown was broken by Ian Blackwell, who had both lbw and later had Luke Fletcher caught at silly mid-off to finish with three for 23 in 19 overs. Harmison had four for 70, his final victim being Chris Read, who drove wide of off stump and edged low to third slip, where substitute Gareth Breese held a good catch.

Jimmy Adams amassed a brilliant 194 off 507 balls but relegation-threatened Hampshire failed to prevent defeat in a thriller against Lancashire at Liverpool.

The 29-year-old left hander batted for 10 hours and 35 minutes, recording the longest innings of the summer and making the hosts sweat on a win which looked a near certainty at the start of the final day. Adams shared a last-wicket partnership of 88 inside 43 overs with Danny Briggs to help post a second innings total of 405 and set the hosts 168 to win in 33 overs after tea.

Left-arm swing bowler James Tomlinson then took three quick wickets to reduce Lancashire to 17 for three in the sixth over of their chase. But a 79-ball 51 from Shivnarine Chanderpaul took his side to the brink before Mark Chilton hit the winning runs off Dominic Cork with one ball and three wickets to spare.

Tom Smith recorded figures of six for 94 from 41 overs to clinch career-best match figures of nine wickets for 134 runs in 53 overs.

Leicestershire's board have given their backing to under-fire chairman Neil Davidson, while revealing an annual loss of around £300,000.

There were calls for Davidson to resign after he accused captain Matthew Hoggard and coach Tim Boon of setting a bad example to playing staff. Discontent has simmered at the club since an apparent disintegration of the relationship between the chairman and chief executive David Smith culminated in the latter's resignation.

However, although one board member resigned at a meeting on Friday, the remaining four members and president David Wilson confirmed their "unanimous support" for Davidson and the club released a statement, which read: "Leicestershire CCC announces that Paul Haywood resigned from the board. The remaining board members John Allen, Tony Hill, Mike Siddall and Andrew York together with president David Wilson confirmed their unanimous support for chairman Neil Davidson."

Losses for the year are expected to be around £300,000 - with an exit in the group stages of the Friends Provident T20 Cup proving costly for Leicestershire.

The Foxes lost seven of their eight home matches in the competition, which they won in 2004 and 2006. The other match was a washout.

The statement continued: "By mid-June it was clear to the board that a significant financial loss was developing, which is why the chief executive (Smith) and senior coach (Boon) were asked to explain the team's disappointing home one-day performances.

"Despite significant expenditure on senior players and the club having some of the finest young cricketers in the country the team has won only a single one-day home game so far this season.

"The absence of Andrew McDonald has been a contributory factor but equally all Championship victories have been achieved without his presence."

Kevin Pietersen will face disciplinary action over his foul-mouthed Twitter faux pas, in which he accidentally announced his dropping from the England team.

Out-of-form Pietersen told followers of his feed three days ago that he would not be selected when England announced their NatWest Twenty20 and one-day international squads to face Pakistan. He did so not only several hours before the England and Wales Cricket Board's official confirmation but also with a regrettable obscenity thrown in too.

England coach Andy Flower said: "He has (spoken to me). He says he made a bit of a mistake, and I'll take him at his word. But still there'll be a disciplinary hearing about that, because we can't have situations like that happening."

Pietersen's unfortunate Tweet is the latest of several instances of England players inadvertently misusing Twitter.

The last time a similarly foul-mouthed Tweet surfaced from a player, earlier this summer, former England Under-19s captain Azeem Rafiq received a one-month ban.

Flower concedes there is an obvious need for consistency in the way such misdemeanours are punished - opening up the possibility of a ban for Pietersen too.

The mitigation, of course, would be that if Pietersen - like Rafiq - criticised authority in the heat of the moment, he did so in a less explicit if almost equally rude way.

"I didn't connect it at all with that," said Flower, when invited to compare the two cases. "But yes, it is important to be consistent."

The ECB have been reported to be considering a Twitter ban - but Flower believes players should be allowed to continue Tweeting, as long as they do so appropriately.

Steven Finn has been named as the 2010 Cricket Writers' Club Young Cricketer of the Year.

England's 21-year-old fast-bowling find from Middlesex was chosen ahead of Yorkshire opening batsman Adam Lyth, winner and runner-up polling an overwhelming majority of votes cast - with Somerset's Jos Buttler in third.

Finn has eight Test caps so far, since his debut against Bangladesh at Chittagong in March, and has already taken 32 wickets at just 23.42.

He succeeds Leicestershire's James Taylor as the holder of an award which is in its 61st year and has been won by cricketers currently responsible for more than 3,000 Test caps between them.

Hampshire pair Danny Briggs and James Vince were among the other young cricketers to poll a significant number of votes this year.

The International Cricket Council has defended its decision to suspend the three players embroiled in the 'spot-fixing' scandal, insisting that there is no conspiracy against Pakistani cricket.

On Thursday night The ICC took the decision to suspend captain Salman Butt and seamers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer after charging them with "various offences" under the governing body's code of conduct. Pakistan high commissioner Wajid Shamsul Hasan on Friday accused the ICC of "playing to the public gallery" by suspending the trio.

ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat said: "This particular incident with the three players is unrelated to the challenge that we've got in keeping Pakistan involved as a full member of the International Cricket Council. So I wouldn't want to link the two, and I certainly wouldn't subscribe to the view that there is some sort of conspiracy around Pakistan cricket."

The three players were questioned by police in relation to a criminal investigation which was launched after claims made in the News of the World that they were part of a spot-fixing scam aimed at defrauding illegal bookmakers.

Hasan claimed that he had received assurances from Lorgat that the players would not be suspended while they were part of a criminal investigation at a meeting on Thursday night.

Hasan went on to claim that the ICC had "no authority to intervene" in the matter and added that he thought there was a "conspiracy" growing against a country that was stripped of its right to co-host the 2011 World Cup and has to play its "home" games abroad due to security fears.

Lorgat rejected those claims at a press conference at Lord's on Friday morning. Lorgat also refuted the suggestion that he had assured the high commissioner that the trio would not be charged while the police investigation was underway.

Sir Ronnie Flanagan, chairman of the ICC's anti-corruption and security unit (ACSU), meanwhile, said at the press conference that the players had been suspended because they had "a really arguable case to answer".

Chaotic scenes outside the Pakistan high commission in London on Thursday matched the turmoil that has been thrust upon the cricket-mad nation since the allegations against the players were made.

The cricketers needed a police escort to enter the building to hold talks with Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ijaz Butt and Hasan, who emerged to reveal that the players had protested their innocence to him.

Stuart Broad suffered discomfort in his groin during practice at the SWALEC Stadium on Friday and England have called up Ajmal Shahzad as pace-bowling cover for their NatWest Twenty20 squad.

Broad was unable to finish the training session, but an England spokesman explained the decision to call up Yorkshire seamer Shahzad - already in the NatWest Series one-day international squad to take on Pakistan this month - is purely precautionary.

"We are covering all bases, just in case," he said. "Stuart just started to feel to feel it a little bit after he got started in practice."

Broad will continue to receive treatment, but at this stage is not ruled out of England's first Twenty20 match against Pakistan in Cardiff on Sunday.

England coach Andy Flower has ordered his players to focus on on-field matters and not become embroiled in the ongoing furore surrounding opponents Pakistan.

Test captain Salman Butt and opening bowlers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer will play no part in the limited overs leg of the tour after being suspended by the International Cricket Council. Butt, Asif and Aamer were interviewed by police during the fourth Test and had their mobile phones confiscated as Scotland Yard tried to get to the bottom of claims the Pakistanis bowled no-balls to order as part of a betting scam.

Flower said: "There has been a lot going on, some of it very unsavoury. No-one wants that sort of news on the front or back page. But we have to focus on playing the game. We have a T20 game on Sunday which we are working towards and we want to keep it as simple as that."

He added: "We don't want to live in a world of 'what ifs' and we are looking forward to the game on Sunday."

Flower did admit, however, that the allegations - and the publicity they have generated - have done little for the image of the game.

He added on Sky Sports News: "We have to see the outcome of these investigations first but obviously it's not a very healthy position we seem to find ourselves in right now.

"But the game will survive, it's a great, great game, people love playing it and people love watching it and that's why it will survive."

Leaders Nottinghamshire lost an early wicket as they began their unlikely victory chase on the final day of their LV= County Championship Division One match at Durham.

Reigning champions Durham declared their second innings closed at 361 for six midway through the morning session to set the visitors an improbable chase of 391.

Nottinghamshire lost the early wicket of Paul Franks to be 39 for one at lunch, but with victory almost certain to seal them the title an entertaining final day awaits.

Durham added 82 runs in 16 overs this morning before skipper Phil Mustard brought an end to the innings after reaching his half century.

That left Nottinghamshire with a tricky 11-over period before lunch and they lost opener Franks for eight when Mitch Claydon pinned him lbw.

Lancashire looked set to claim victory over struggling Hampshire to keep their faint title hopes alive after Tom Smith claimed three morning-session wickets.

Smith (six for 80) removed Michael Bates, Dominic Cork and Chris Wood in quick succession as Hampshire's defiant bid to avoid defeat, led by Jimmy Adams' unbeaten 164, hit the skids.

Opener Adams, who batted all day yesterday, looked set to bat through the entire innings as he was left with last man Danny Briggs with his side on 350 for nine.

That was enough for a lead of only 112 runs with two sessions to play.

Sir Ronnie Flanagan, the International Cricket Council's anti-corruption chief, has denied the spot-fixing crisis points to failures by the ICC.

Speaking at an ICC press conference during which it was confirmed that the three players at the centre of the allegations were being questioned by police, Flanagan insisted the ICC's anti-corruption and security unit (ACSU) was effective.

"If these charges are proven I congratulate the News of The World. They were brought to light in ways the ICC can't engage in; ways the ICC would not like to engage in," said Flanagan, appointed chairman of the ACSU in July. "There are many instances where ACSU activity has prevented these type of actions occurring. I refute this represents a failing of the ACSU. On the contrary I have been impressed with what my investigators have done."

ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat confirmed at the start of the press conference at Lord's that Pakistan Test skipper Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer - charged and suspended under the ICC's code of conduct on Thursday night - were being questioned by police in London.

Pakistan High Commissioner Wajid Shamsul Hasan earlier accused the ICC of "trying to play to the public gallery" by suspending the three players allegedly involved in a spot-fixing scam. Speaking to the BBC, Hasan suggested the ICC's intervention was unnecessary and also hinted at an anti-Pakistan stance.

But Lorgat rejected those claims, adding that the international cricket community remained committed to lending its support to Pakistan in the light of the ongoing security issues in the country.

"I can assure you that there is absolutely no truth to the suggestion that there is a conspiracy against Pakistan cricket," he said. "On the contrary, we still have a Pakistan task team functioning that is seeking to ensure Pakistan play international cricket, albeit at neutral venues.

"This particular incident with the three players is unrelated to the challenge that we've got in keeping Pakistan involved as a full member of the International Cricket Council. So I wouldn't want to link the two, and I certainly wouldn't subscribe to the view that there is some sort of conspiracy around Pakistan cricket."

Asked whether Thursday's decision to provisionally suspend the three players had been taken in the light of fresh evidence, Flanagan added: "There was no tipping point. It was the culmination of a very detailed and vigorous examination which led us to a point last evening that we felt there was a case to answer.

"In the interests of those players, we felt they needed to know that was the position."

Worcestershire's veteran paceman Matt Mason has signed a new one-year contract for the 2011 campaign.

The 36-year-old will also combine his playing role with that of the club's bowling coach.

Worcestershire director of cricket Steve Rhodes said: "Matt is still a top class bowler in both four day and one day cricket. He plays a very important role in helping our young bowlers develop both in the nets and during matches. His experience is invaluable."