THE evidence of the last year is that Durham are a fair weather team, and they desperately need to make hay while the sun shines in Taunton this week.

The forecast is looking much better and on the traditionally run-laden pitch it is time for the Durham batsmen to find the form which will haul them off the bottom of division one.

The bowling also needs a boost and Durham have included Steve Harmison for the first time this season.

Playing at Billericay and Belper may have helped with his match fitness but it is unlikely to have fired his enthusiasm and if his career is to continue he needs to play in the first team now.

There's also places in the 13-man squad for Liam Plunkett and Jamie Harrison, but Graham Onions stays with England. Dale Benkenstein remains sidelined with a shoulder injury.

In the glorious weather at the start of last season eight Durham batsmen were averaging more than 40 after six games.

They go into their sixth game of the current campaign today with no-one averaging over 25.

Last year there had been nine centuries after six games; this time the only scores above 50 are Phil Mustard's 80 and Mitch Claydon's 55 in the second innings of the opening match at home to Nottinghamshire.

Durham's fortunes declined in tandem with the weather last season and the disappearance of their 23-point lead at the top after ten games began with defeat at Taunton.

There had been rain in the preceding days and Phil Mustard put Somerset in, only for Marcus Tresothick to score 163 in a total of 480.

Durham were then dismissed for 220 and went on to lose by nine wickets and, in fact, they have to go back to their promotion year of 2005 for their last win at Taunton - a season when Somerset finished next to the bottom of division two.

Since the Cidermen were promoted for the 2008 season Durham have drawn three rain-affected matches prior to losing last year.

Trescothick will be out for at least a further month after his ankle operation and Somerset include none of the three seamers who troubled Durham last year. They have allowed Charl Willoughby to go to Essex, while Steve Kirby is injured and Alfonso Thomas is still at the IPL.

After a tough four days at the Oval last week, when a high-scoring draw kept Somerset in third place, it will be no surprise if Vernon Philander again holds something back.

South Africa will not be best pleased if he is still carrying niggling injuries at the start of their Test series here this summer.

So the opportunity is there for the Durham batsmen to prosper and this time the greater concern might lie with the bowlers.

The management continue to stress that the bowlers have done a sterling job, but it's a description which only truly applies to Onions.

Given the favourable conditions his 23 wickets at 14.52 have not been as well supported as might be expected. Callum Thorp has 11 at 24.18 and Mitch Claydon 14 at 26.57.

Somerset have not suffered unduly from Trescothick's absence as Nick Compton is averaging 102, Craig Kieswetter 50.5, James Hildreth 45 and Arul Suppiah 36.5.

Harmison could be the man to shake them up when play begins today at noon because of the Olympic torch passing through Taunton.