PAUL Collingwood held a good slip catch and dropped a simpler one as Durham took only one wicket this morning with Somerset reaching 132 for three, only 23 behind.

Had the forecast been accurate there would have been no play until this afternoon, but only 20 minutes were lost while the darkest clouds passed by.

Mark Wood, bowling with genuine pace, deserved more than the one wicket as he also swung the ball and conceded a lot of runs to the vacant third man area.

He had Johann Myburgh caught by his left boot by Collingwood at first slip for 28 to make it 53 for three, but Alviro Petersen and James Hildreth have shared an unbroken stand of 79. Petersen was on 30 when he edged Jamie Harrison towards Collingwood’s left shoulder, only for the ball to pass through the captain’s hands.

The South African Test batsman was also a shade fortunate when he edged Keaton Jennings’ first ball, prompting Durham to restore the second slip who had just been taken out.

Harrison went very close to bowling Hildreth on 35 and Wood twice beat Petersen in the last over before lunch. But with the clouds expected to disperse both batsmen will hope to press on this afternoon. Petersen is on 44 and Hildreth has made 43, including a hooked six off Chris Rushworth.