ANDY FLINTOFF has his sights set on another Lord's final.

The Lancashire all-rounder has had a thin season in the Championship, but he has saved his best form for the Cheltenham and Gloucester Trophy, and yesterday he entertained a sun-baked Blackpool crowd with a superb unbeaten

72 to earn a tough semi final at Leicester.

Flintoff, nicknamed Freddie, linked up with Neil Fairbrother in Lancashire's version of the Little and Large show in a third wicket stand of 136 in 25 overs which decided the match.

"Harvey is always good to bat with," said a happy Freddie afterwards.

"It was a good performance all-round. I was very pleased with the way I batted. I felt good, I was moving my feet, and I just didn't want to get out."

But Flintoff agreed with skipper Warren Hegg that one win was not enough to prove that Lancashire's season has turned around.

"It's given us a boost because our one-day form hasn't been good," said Hegg, who again led the team in the absence of John Crawley - and put Durham in after winning the toss. "But it's too early to say it's a turning point."

Peter Martin had set the tone for Lancashire with an opening spell of 7-1-11-1, then Gary Yates turned the screw on Durham.

The unsung off-spinner, making his first one-day appearance of the season, had Aussie dangerman Martin Love lbw in his second over and went on to take two for 23 in his 10 overs.

Lancashire made a stuttering start when Mike Atherton was lbw to young Durham seamer Mark Davies, then Glen Chapple was brilliantly stumped down the legside by Andrew Pratt off Danny Law.

But Fairbrother and Flintoff responded positively, with Fairbrother racing to his half century from only 51 balls.

He went on to 73 from 75 with six fours and two sixes before driving a catch to mid-off with Lancashire on the verge of victory. And Flintoff, who faced 87 balls for his 72 and also hit two sixes, saw them home.

"That was probably our best display of the season," said Fairbrother. "And Freddie played the sort of innings that so many people have asked of him. It was a proper innings."

Lancashire will be looking for more of the same in the Roses Match at Headingley.

SCORECARDS:

DURHAM

N Peng lbw b Martin...12

D Law c Hegg b Wood...12

M Love lbw b Yaes...38

P Collingwood c Atherton b Flintoff...60

J Lewis c and c Schofield...9

M Speight b Yates...0

M Gough c Scuderi b Flintoff...27

A Pratt not out...26

G Bridge run out...0

A Davies not out...0

Extras...14

Total (8wkts)...198

Bowling: Martin 7-1-11-1; Chapple 9-0-47-0; Wood 6-0-25-1; Flintoff 8-0-46-2; Yates 1-0-23-2; Schofield 10-1-40-1

LANCASHIRE

M Atherton lbw b Davies...14

G Chapple st A Pratt b Law...23

A Flintoff not out...72

N F'brother c Speight b Bridge...73

G Lloyd not out...6

Extras...11

Total (3 wkts)...199

Bowling: Law 9.4-0-53-1; Davies 8-1-39-1; Bridge 9-045-1; Brinkley5-0-14-0; Gough 5-0-22-0; Collingwood 2-0-23-0