In-form Trescothick makes Durham suffer

Somerset 287 for 4 v Durham
Scorecard

Marcus Trescothick took his run tally in his last five County Championship innings to 551 with a superb 128 on a rain-delayed opening day against Durham at Taunton. The former England opener followed up scored of 188 not out against Kent and 228 not out against Essex with another powerful exhibition as Somerset ran up 287 for 4. Arul Suppiah made 54 and Nick Compton 45.

Play did not start until 1.10pm because of rain, but only 15 overs were lost. Durham's bowlers faced a tough task maintaining line and length in a strong gusty wind, but stuck to their task well, Dale Benkenstein removing Compton and Trescothick for figures of 2 for 17 from three overs.

Trescothick won the toss and elected to take first use of a green looking pitch, which as is so often the case at Taunton, did not offer as much assistance to the seamer as its appearance suggested. Suppiah helped his captain put on 119 for the first wicket and had reached a half-century off 85 balls with 10 fours before being trapped lbw by a delivery from former team-mate Ian Blackwell that looked to turn.

Trescothick blasted 11 fours in reaching fifty off 71 deliveries and was unbeaten on 78 when tea was taken at 154 for 1 after 40 overs. The final session also featured 40 overs and saw Trescothick and Compton extend their second wicket stand to 113 before the latter aimed to clip Benkenstein away on the leg side and Scott Borthwick took a sharp catch at short mid-wicket.

Trescothick had reached his hundred off 149 balls, with 17 fours, and celebrated with his only six, pulled over a short mid-wicket boundary off Benkenstein. The bowler got his revenge soon afterwards as the Somerset captain, eager to press the accelerator, drove in the air to extra cover where Mark Stoneman took a comfortable catch.

From 232 for 1 Somerset were suddenly 249 for 4 when James Hildreth, one of only two batsmen with more runs than Trescothick in the Championship First Division, failed for once and was yorked by Matthew Claydon for 7.

It will not have escaped Somerset's notice that Blackwell got several balls to turn in the closing overs, a sight which may well have had Murali Kartik rubbing his hands at the prospect of bowling left-arm spin at the Durham batsmen later in the game.