EVEN the task of facing what almost amounted to Somerset juniors did not help Durham to escape the doldrums yesterday.

A bowler barely old enough to drink Scrumpy, Craig Overton, took four for 38 as Durham crashed to 125 all out on what seemed the best day of this sodden season so far for batting.

Then 20-year-old all-rounder Craig Meschede followed up his career-best bowling of three for 26 by making his highest score to leave Durham on the rocks.

Meschede, with a top score of 53 in nine previous first-class appearances, raced fearlessly to a 45-ball half-century and went on to make 62.

It's not only a name he shares with Craig Kieswetter but also their birthplace of Johannesburg, although both were educated in Somerset. They showed typical South African fight, however, as they heaped embarrassment on Durham with a stand of 107.

With Somerset on 65 for four at tea it was evenly poised. But with Lady Luck refusing to smile on them Durham totally lost their way in the evening session as they conceded 155 runs in 29 overs before bad light intervened.

Their blushes were partly spared by Callum Thorp picking up three late wickets to leave Somerset on 220 for eight with Kieswetter still there on 60.

Durham trail by 95 and if they lose this one the alarm bells really will start to ring, and a rare visit to the media centre by chairman Clive Leach, presumably for a better view, hinted that the team is under scrutiny.

It has been a nightmare for groundsmen, but there seemed little wrong with the Chester-le-Street pitch as Durham reached 90 for three after being put in.

But then nine wickets fell in 12 overs, with Somerset slipping to six for two before being revived by an innings of 40 from Peter Trego, their oldest player at 30.

Three Durham bowlers struck in their first over, but only Graham Onions followed up, taking both the first two wickets before returning to the unlucky mode he endured on the third morning at Edgbaston.

The average age of the visitors is 23, compared with Durham's 31, which was reduced slightly by the absence of Dale Benkenstein with a dislocated shoulder, suffered during fielding practice.

Without the ballast he provides, no-one below Will Smith in the order seemed inclined to graft. They continue to bat as though they were playing on similar surfaces to the sun-baked tracks on which they were amassing big totals a year ago.

Granted they have had one match washed out, but from the other four they have gained one batting point.

In the prevailing conditions the inclusion of Ruel Brathwaite at the expense of Scott Borthwick was understandable, even if it did weaken the batting. It meant elevating Thorp to No 8, but that did not persuade him to abandon his cavalier approach as he drove a catch straight to mid-off.

Nor did the dizzy heights of No 9 suit Mitch Claydon, who also drove to mid-off but was dropped, only to fall lbw next ball.

Two balls later Brathwaite edged to second slip to provide the fourth wicket for the lanky Overton, who was 18 last month and looks an excellent prospect.

As previously observed, Claydon is making a habit of striking in his first over but not following up. This time he splattered the stumps of James Hildreth but finished with one for 63 in eight overs, his second three-over spell costing 34 runs.

In his first over back Meschede hit him for three fours, one of them a cheeky upper cut over the slips as he included 11 boundaries in his 50.

Brathwaite ended Trego's innings with a ball which kept a shade low but conceded 31 runs in five overs.

It was all a far cry from the start of Somerset's innings, when Arul Suppiah fell to the first ball and two overs later Onions also had Alex Barrow lbw in identical fashion, half forward to a ball which moved in slightly.

That signalled the end of the early afternoon clatter of wickets, which began when Mark Stoneman and Gordon Muchall, brought in for Benkenstein and Ben Stokes, missed their chance to push for regular inclusion.

Stoneman did, however, top score with 33 before edging a low catch to third slip off Vernon Philander, who would be the bowler Durham feared but appeared to bowl well within himself.

That there was plenty in it for the bowlers was underlined by Trego's spell of one for 16 in ten overs, his wicket being that of Paul Collingwood.

He edged the first ball he faced for four then shaped to drive the third and was well caught at first slip by Hildreth.

Durham are going to have to find some batting form today if they are to avoid defeat.

SCORECARD

Durham v Somerset
At Emirates Durham ICG

Durham First Innings
M J Di Venuto c Kieswetter b Philander 14
W R Smith c Kieswetter b Meschede 18
M D Stoneman c Overton b Philander 33
P D Collingwood c Hildreth b Trego 4
G J Muchall lbw b Overton 16
I D Blackwell c Kieswetter b Overton 14
P Mustard c Barrow b Meschede 10
C D Thorp c Philander b Meschede 7
M E Claydon lbw b Overton 1
G Onions not out 0
R M Brathwaite c Barrow b Overton 0
Extras (lb4 nb4 pens 0) 8
Total (46 overs) 125
Fall: 1-22 2-53 3-62 4-90 5-92 6-117 7-
121 8-125 9-125
Philander 11-2-41-2. Overton 16-5-38-4.
Meschede 9-4-26-3. Trego 10-5-16-1.

Somerset First Innings Close
A V Suppiah lbw b Onions 0
L Gregory c Blackwell b Thorp 18
A W Barrow lbw b Onions 3
J C Hildreth b Claydon 18
C Kieswetter not out 60
P D Trego b Brathwaite 40
C A Meschede c Collingwood b Thorp 62
V D Philander c Stoneman b Thorp 8
C Overton c Di Venuto b Thorp 0
M T Waller not out 0
Extras (lb8 w1 nb2 pens 0) 11
Total 8 wkts (45 overs) 220
Fall: 1-0 2-6 3-32 4-45 5-95 6-202 7-220
8-220
To Bat: G H Dockrell.
Onions 16-4-55-2. Thorp 14-3-53-4. Claydon
8-0-63-1. Brathwaite 5-0-31-1. Blackwell
2-0-10-0.