A SECOND 50 of the match by skipper Jon Lewis gave Durham a scent of victory against Somerset at Taunton yesterday.

Again providing a lesson in application to impatient younger teammates, Lewis took 100 balls to reach his half-century, but then perished without addition when he was yorked by Simon Francis.

Durham finished the second day on 153 for five in their second innings, leading by 167, with the diligence of Danny Law and Andrew Pratt ensuring that Lewis's was the only wicket to fall in the evening session.

Law, who got a bad decision in the first innings, was on 35 at the close after waiting patiently for the right balls to put away with his blend of power and elegant timing.

After the morning session was lost to rain, the batsmen of both teams seemed to want to make sure they still had a free Saturday.

Somerset completed their steep decline from 91 without loss to be all out for 171, 14 behind, then Durham went into tea on 66 for four. It was an insult to the pitch that 15 wickets had fallen on the first day, and for a further nine to go in one session was ridiculous.

Nicky Peng could argue that he didn't touch the last ball before the interval, when he was adjudged caught behind. But the shot he played was lamentable, especially as he had essayed a huge pull in the previous over and failed to connect.

Durham needed only 15.4 overs to take the last five Somerset wickets, with Javagal Srinath striking in the day's third over by ripping out James Bryant's off stump.

The Indian has been suffering from a heavy cold, which may explain why he was sparingly used the previous evening, but he is clearly still a high-class performer.

It was a pleasure to witness his artistry on a day when too many of the game's modern ills were evident.

There was a good deal of outrageous appealing, pressurising the umpires into some dodgy decisions, runs frequently flowed to the unmanned third man area, and too many batsmen perished to rash strokes.

Brought up on a diet of fast food, it is as though they have no appetite for the five-course meal spanning several hours.

Lewis was again the exception as he tried to ensure a big enough lead to give Srinath something to bowl at. The Indian might have had more wickets as the economy of effort in his excellent action allowed him to probe away with subtle changes of pace.

Favouring the in-swinger, he had several shouts for lbw turned down and Stephen Harmison also had a good call against Rob Turner rejected by George Sharp, who rarely does his native county any favours.

Harmison did take three of the last four wickets, however, while he almost had Richard Johnson caught at long leg.

Instead the ball just eluded Neil Killeen and went for six, but when Johnson flayed the next ball wildly to cover and set off for a run he was left stranded by a slick piece of fielding from Gary Pratt.

Harmison splayed Keith Dutch's stumps with a yorker, Aaron Laraman was adjudged caught behind although the ball appeared to brush his helmet and Harmison completed Somerset's feeble decline by clipping Nixon McLean's off stump.

When Durham went back in Michael Gough again struggled against Richard Johnson's late away swing and edged to third slip.

Gary Pratt hit two or three glorious strokes, notably a cover drive off Johnson, before the bowler had him lbw on the front foot for the second time in the match.

Vince Wells trudged reluctantly away when given caught behind off Francis for nine and there was a similar look of astonishment when Peng followed three overs later.

Law repeated Peng's waft before he had scored, but fortunately he absorbed the lesson with his captain's help and they put on 56, a stand beaten only by Somerset's 91 for the first wicket.

Johnson came back for a second spell and both Law and Pratt concentrated hard to keep him out, while the pressure was eased at the other end when the off breaks of Dutch offered the first spin of the match at 6.15.

He was almost frantic in begging Sharp to give Law out caught down the leg side in the penultimate over, but the Hartlepool-born umpire was having none of this foolery and the stand was worth 41 at the close after Pratt drove the last ball sweetly through extra cover to reach 19.

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