DURHAM must have been salivating when Marcus Trescothick put them in on a good Chester-le-Street pitch today. But they would be kicking themselves for losing three wickets.

Bowling is not Somerset’s strength and Mark Stoneman and Scott Borthwick probably licked their lips a little too hard as they made cracking starts then got out a little carelessly.

But as at Northampton last week, South African duo Keaton Jennings and Michael Richardson were not inclined to surrender on a run-laden pitch.

Against a struggling attack which delivered ten no-balls in the first 21 overs, the third-wicket pair were also able to crack on, adding 65 in 15 overs before Richardson departed for 29 in the over before lunch.

Whereas the lunch score on the first day at Northampton was 70 for two, this time it was 119 for three with Jennings on 40.

Stoneman pulled the second and third balls of the match in front of mid-wicket for four and six off Lewis Gregory. But he added only a single before trying to cut a short, wide one in the third over and edging to Craig Kieswetter.

Perhaps Stoneman’s powerful early shots had damaged the ball because it had to be changed after only eight deliveries. But that didn’t help 20-year-old paceman Jamie Overton, who replaced his twin Craig in the Somerset side and sent down five no-balls in an opening three-over spell which cost 24 runs.

Durham had 50 on the board after ten overs then Borthwick pulled the first ball of the 11th to long leg for four, only to follow an away swinger from Peter Trego and give Kieswetter another catch.

The run-up problems were mystifying as Trego over-stepped with his second ball and Craig Meschede with his third and sixth before he switched ends and swiftly brought up double figures.

When Overton returned he bowled two more no-balls before Richardson drove at him and sliced a catch to gully.