PAUL Collingwood would prefer not to have to bowl in four-day cricket, but on the first day of championship cricket at Taunton yesterday the Durham captain's gentle swingers transformed the game.

After suffering a century by Johann Myburgh, the man he didn't want in the Durham team when he took over the captaincy in 2012, Collingwood suddenly took five wickets in 34 balls.

Cruising serenely along at 224 for two in mid-afternoon, the removal of Myburgh precipitated an astonishing collapse and Somerset were all out for 299.

The clatter continued as Durham lost both openers to edged catches with only 13 on the board before Scott Borthwick counter-attacked superbly in partnership with Michael Richardson.

They took Durham to 98 for two in 19 overs at the close with Borthwick on 52 after scoring his first 45 runs in 35 balls, all but one of them in boundaries.

He was at the crease in the second over after Keaton Jennings played back and edged his third ball to the wicketkeeper to record his fourth duck in his last five championship innings.

Lewis Gregory also accounted for Mark Stoneman and twice found Borthwick's edge, but the batsman skilfully kept the ball down and evaded third slip.

He then began to drive and pull with great authority as the Somerset bowling lost its discipline just as quickly as the batting.

Graham Onions wrapped up the Somerset tail to finish with four for 59, while Collingwood had five for 57. His only previous five-wicket haul in first-class cricket was five for 52 against Somerset at Stockton in 2005, after which his Test career meant he rarely bowled other than in one-day cricket.

Even when he returned full-time to the Durham side in 2012 he took only one championship wicket all season, which he repeated the following year. And last season he didn't take a wicket until the 11th match.

Captain Marcus Trescothick apart, Somerset's early batsmen took advantage of winning the toss on a sunny morning. But increasing cloud cover allowed Collingwood to find some swing, while he was also helped by some rash strokes from batsmen who probably felt he offered easy pickings.

Having looked as dangerous as anyone in his morning spell, the captain struck with the first ball of his second, which Myburgh inexplicably hit straight to short extra cover off the back foot.

The 34-year-old South African, who failed to impress in his half season at Chester-le-Street three years ago, made 118.

In his next over the wily Collingwood again prompted a lapse in concentration from a batsman in full cry, having James Hildreth lbw for 53 when he had already hit two classy off-side fours in the over.

Alex Barrow had his bails trimmed by a swinger and Peter Trego was lbw second ball before Jim Allenby carved a catch straight to backward point.

Lewis Gregory continued the surrender by lobbing an attempted pull off Onions into the gloves of Phil Mustard and two slip catches wrapped up the innings.

The second was held by Collingwood, who had begun the day by catching Trescothick when the left-hander was drawn into an attempted drive by Onions.

There was a double Dutch connection in the stand of 93 which followed as Myburgh's brother, Stephan, has played for the Netherlands alongside Somerset's new No 3, Tom Cooper.

The latter, born in Australia, is about as tall as his comedian namesake and for a while it seemed he might be just as accident prone in his attempts to produce a bag of tricks.

He got off the mark when he shaped to turn Onions to leg and got a leading edge through extra cover and initially looked as though he could depart at any time.

As is often the case at Taunton, the pitch was deceptively green but offered little assistance under the morning sun. Although they beat the bat a few times, the bowlers struggled for penetration and Cooper began to match Myburgh's strokeplay.

It was Paul Coughlin who broke the partnership after lunch, having Cooper lbw for 47 when aiming wide of mid-on.

Like a lot of little men, Myburgh proved strong off the back foot and Onions and John Hastings were guilty of feeding that strength as he followed his 91-ball half-century by hitting his second 50 off 43 balls.

Several of his 15 fours were stroked sublimely through the covers off the back foot, including the one which took him to 50, although he was comprehensively beaten by Onions' next ball.

On 89 he edged Hastings just wide of second slip to pass his previous top score for Somerset of 91, made in last season's opening match against Yorkshire.

When Borthwick was introduced, Myburgh drove his first ball, a full toss, for four then flipped another full toss to fine leg to complete his century.

Both batsmen pulled sixes off Borthwick, whose four overs cost 30 before he made way for Collingwood, who immediately ended the stand of 101.

Myburgh was replaced by another itinerant import in his early 30s, Allenby, with a third, Tim Groenewald, still to come. With two Australians and two South Africans in their line-up, as well as official overseas man Abdur Rehmann, it seems Somerset have compromised on the policy which two years ago looked on the verge of producing a very strong home-grown team.

After playing for Leicestershire and Glamorgan it will be interesting to see how Allenby fares in division one. He looked a little too cavalier yesterday.

There would have been nothing of any value from Somerset for watching national selector James Whitaker on a day when he would have been pleased to note Onions' bowling. He would also have been impressed by Borthwick's batting, but would like to see him taking wickets.