Trescothick runs amok

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Durham felt the full force of Marcus Trescthick's fine form as the Somerset skipper scored 128 in a day one total of 287 for four

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Somerset captain Marcus Trescothick took his run tally in his last five LV= 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 scores of 188 not out against Kent and 228 not out against Essex with another powerful exhibition as Somerset ran up 287 for four. Arul Suppiah made 54 and Nick Compton 45.

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

Trescothick won the toss and elected to bat first on a green pitch, which, as is so often the case at Taunton, did not offer as much assistance to the seamers as its appearance suggested.

Suppiah helped him 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.

Trescothick hit 11 fours in reaching 50 off 71 deliveries and was unbeaten on 78 when tea was taken at 154 for one 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 clipped Benkenstein to short midwicket, where Scott Borthwick took a sharp catch.

Trescothick had reached his hundred off 149 balls, with 17 fours, and celebrated with his only six, pulled over a short midwicket boundary off Benkenstein.

The bowler got his revenge soon afterwards as Trescothick, eager to press the accelerator, drove to Mark Stoneman at extra-cover.

From 232 for one, Somerset were suddenly 249 for four when James Hildreth - one of only two batsmen with more runs than Trescothick in Division One - failed for once, yorked by Mitch Claydon for seven.

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.