THE return to 50-over cricket inspired a vintage performance from Paul Collingwood yesterday but it wasn’t enough to save Durham from defeat in a high-scoring Royal London Cup match at Taunton.

Somerset’s production line is currently even more fruitful than Durham’s and an unbroken stand of 209 between James Hildreth and Lewis Gregory carried them to a five-wicket win with 3.2 overs to spare.

With a new ball available at both ends, both teams lost three early wickets before their No 5 batsmen scored centuries.

Collingwood compiled a fluent 113 but was upstaged by Hildreth, who was unbeaten on 146, while Gregory, a 22-year-old Devonian, timed the ball superbly in reaching 105.

They came together with their side on 103 for five in reply to 311 for seven, but if the Somerset bowlers had wilted under Durham’s late onslaught it was even worse for the visiting attack.

Collingwood was off the field with back trouble towards the end and one-day captain Mark Stoneman’s shuffling of his pack didn’t work.

The biggest gamble was to recall Keaton Jennings for the 45th over, but after two full tosses were smashed for six by Hildreth the game was as good as over.

John Hastings was left with four overs unused, although the fact that his final one had cost 12 suggested that Stoneman had nowhere to turn.

Graham Onions had shown encouraging signs of a return to form when he had Marcus Trescothick lbw in his second over and Peter Trego caught behind in his third.

But when he returned for a second spell after 30 overs both bastmen pulled him for six in his two overs and he was guilty of a third no-ball.

Durham will now hope that Ben Stokes is available for tomorrow’s match at Canterbury following his omission from the England side.

Durham were struggling on 36 for three when Collingwood went in, but the 38-yearold veteran of 197 one-day internationals made a confident start and his second six off left-arm spinner George Dockrell took him to 50 off 48 balls.

He needed only a further 40 deliveries to reach his century and he received surprisingly fluent support from Jennings in a fifth-wicket stand of 103.

Durham were 158 for four off 34 overs when they took the batting powerplay and Jennings contributed his full share as 56 were added in five overs.

Driving and pulling strongly, the left-hander had made 45 off 43 balls when he holed out at deep mid-wicket, then Collingwood was brilliantly caught one-handed high to his left by Trescothick at extra cover.

But a Gareth Breese cameo maintained the momentum as his unbeaten 34 off 19 balls dominated an unbroken stand of 54 in 5.3 overs with Gordon Muchall.

Even one-day specialist Alfonso Thomas crumbled under the pressure, conceding 77 in his ten overs.

Durham amassed 153 off the last 16 overs, atoning for a poor start after Stoneman chose to bat, only to depart for three when he was well caught by Dockrell, diving forward at backward point.

Calum MacLeod made ten before he also fell to a good, low catch by South African one-day international Colin Ingram when he clipped Tim Groenewald straight to midwicket.

Scott Borthwick was run out when Phil Mustard pushed the ball into the leg side and set off for a risky single, leaving his partner stranded after a hesitant response.

That made it 37 for three after the ten overs of powerplay and Mustard, still struggling to find his best form, was not helped by having to hold the innings together, but lack of form was no hindrance to Collingwood.

He paddle-swept Trego’s first ball for four then drove him through mid-on for another boundary as ten came off the over.

Mustard had made only 20 off 52 balls when Dockrell was introduced.

With no man back at longon Collingwood hit the spinner for four and six in that area and Mustard also thumped a six as 17 came off the 23rd over.

But then Mustard got out tamely for 40. He tried to run a short ball from Craig Overton to third man and merely offered an easy catch to wicketkeeper Alex Barrow.

It seemed odd that Durham should send in Jennings next, even if they did want to retain a right and left-hand combination.

He scored 17 off his first 28 balls but switched easily into overdrive when the powerplay was taken, hitting Thomas for three fours in four balls. Two were driven and one pulled.

With runs flowing, Groenewald was recalled but Collingwood, mixing improvisation with orthodoxy, reverse swept his first ball for four to third man.

The fifth-wicket pair departed in quick succession then Hastings blasted three fours before chipping to extra cover, allowing Breese to show his one-day skills in applying the finishing touches.

Somerset would have hoped to build their innings around Nick Compton, but an excellent ball from Chris Rushworth induced a fatal edge when the ex-England opener had made three.

Ingram helped Hildreth to rebuild with a stand of 82 before he was stumped off Breese, then Collingwood had Barrow caught behind for a duck and Durham looked to be on their way to a comfortable win.

But Hildreth confirmed his class in reaching his century off 103 balls, while Gregory surprised everyone with the quality of his striking, passing 100 in 70 balls as he finished the match with three successive fours off Rushworth.

SCOREBOARD

At Taunton.

Durham
M D Stoneman c Dockrell b Gregory ..... 3
P Mustard c Barrow b Overton ...........40
C MacLeod c Ingram b Groenewald . 10
S G Borthwick run out ............................ 6
P C’lingwood c Trescothick b Overton.113
K K Jennings c Dockrell b Thomas ....45
G J Muchall not out................................29
J Hastings c Dockrell b Groenewald . 16
G R Breese not out................................34
Extras (b2 lb1 w10 nb2) .... 15
Total 7 wkts (50 overs) .....311
Fall: 1-11 2-25 3-36 4-109 5-212 6-237
7-257
Did Not Bat: C Rushworth, G Onions.
Bowling: Thomas 10-0-77-1. Gregory 10-0-
66-1. Groenewald 10-1-44-2. Trego 2-0-15-
0. Overton 10-1-42-2. Dockrell 8-0-64-0.

Somerset
N R Compton c Mustard b Rushworth... 3
M E Trescothick lbw b Onions ............ 11
P D Trego c Mustard b Onions ............. 3
C A Ingram st Mustard b Breese........ 31
J C Hildreth not out..............................146
A Barrow c Mustard b Collingwood..... 0
L Gregory not out.................................105
Extras (lb1 w3 nb12 pens 0)16
Total 5 wkts (46.4 overs)..315
Fall: 1-12 2-17 3-21 4-103 5-106
Bowling: Rushworth 8.4-1-60-1. Onions
8-1-59-2. Collingwood 7-0-38-1. Hastings
6-0-37-0. Breese 7-0-35-1. Borthwick 5-0-
33-0. Jennings 5-0-52-0.
Somerset (2pts) beat Durham (0pts) by 5 wkts