Harmison happy again

Steve Harmison knows that Durham have a tough couple of days ahead at Taunton

Steve Harmison has revealed fronting Durham's LV County Championship title bid was part of his bargain in coming out of one-day international retirement.

Harmison's five-wicket haul against Somerset at Taunton enhanced the hopes of a maiden title for the north-east county.

The 29-year-old made certain caveats when lured back into limited-overs action by England captain Kevin Pietersen and coach Peter Moores last month - and was adamant he must finish the domestic season with Durham.

"When I made the decision to come out of retirement, of all the stipulations made speaking to Kevin and the coach, the biggest one was not leaving Durham in the lurch because I was playing for England," Harmison said, after Durham dismissed Somerset for 224.

"I came back from playing for England in New Zealand in a low state of confidence earlier this year and the reason I am playing for England again is because of what I have done for Durham.

"I agreed I would do it if the day after the last England match in Cardiff I could continue playing for Durham.

"If we win the Championship then it's a win-win situation for everybody.

"I have a younger brother (Ben) who, when I made my Test debut, was a 14-year-old sitting in the crowd.

"Now he is one of my team-mates and that is another big factor for me wanting to play for Durham."

Durham, only granted first-class status in 1992, resume on 45 for one against their Division One title rivals.

It all gets too much for Ben Harmison, who was in the crowd when his brother made his Test debut

"We have had a good day today, fingers crossed with the weather, and we need to take as many bonus points as possible points as possible and then potentially look to try to win the game," Harmison added.

"The way things are there is the potential for it to go both ways still but if we can bat for a full day it then becomes only one team able to win and that will be us."

Harmison set things up with a hostile nine-over burst to international openers Marcus Trescothick and Justin Langer, dismissing the former with a delivery of extra bounce on a placid pitch.

It was the kind of dismissal Somerset veteran Andrew Caddick has enacted so often on this ground, although he was one of two former England bowlers left out of this contest - Durham's Liam Plunkett the other.

"It was hugely difficult, a really tough decision," said Somerset coach Andy Hurry of Caddick's omission. "We have made a conscious effort as a team to pick the right horses for the right courses and on this wicket we didn't feel the seamers would be as effective as they have been in the past.

"We think it is going to spin and that is why we are going the attacking route and playing Micky Munday.

"Obviously Andrew wanted to play but he is a team man and he is behind the decision that's been made."