LIAM Livingstone's defiant effort with the bat couldn't prevent Lancashire from slipping to their first Specsavers County Championship Division One defeat of the season.

Livingstone was left on 60 not out as the  Red Rose lost by 73 runs in the North East to give Durham their first win of the season.

Lancashire would have hoped for better as they tried to bat out the day for a draw yesterday after Durham skipper Paul Collingwood declared overnight to leave an unlikely victory target of 325.

However, the visitors lost five wickets with just 97 on the board, and despite former Barrow CC ace Livingstone remaining unbeaten at the crease for more than three hours in a marathon 105-ball innings, Lancashire were bowled out for 251.

Livingstone has enjoyed a great start to his first-class career, with this knock being the third time he has scored more than 50 runs in five innings this season.

James Weighell and Brydon Carse were the tormentors-in-chief from a Durham perspective, picking three wickets each, as Graham Onions got a brace and Scott Borthwick picked up a wicket to go with his two centuries with the bat.