MARTYN Moxon looked a little glum when Durham were 35 for three in the ninth over yesterday, but by lunchtime there was barely a furrow on his brow.

Durham were 200 for three with Nicky Peng on 100 after scoring at almost seven an over in partnership with Gary Pratt.

"I wouldn't mind batting on here," said the coach, who an hour earlier had been bemoaning the lack of consistency in the batting.

It's a familiar cry, and Moxon was hoping his batsmen could spend valuable time at the crease in the three-day first-class fixture against Durham University at the students' Racecourse ground.

"You won't often see someone come in at No 5 on the first morning and score a hundred before lunch," he said after Peng had narrowly failed to record the fastest first-class century by a Durham player.

Having patted a few back before sweeping Alex Loudon in front of square for his 18th four in the over before the interval, Peng took 94 balls to reach his ton.

The 88-ball record still belongs to Wayne Larkins on the same ground against Sussex in 1993.

It was Peng's third first-class century and he raced past his previous best of 108 at Derby a year ago, reaching 158 off 138 balls before skying an attempted pull to mid-on.

Pratt also made his best first-class score, passing the 78 he made at Northampton last year to reach 96, when he incurred his own wrath by dabbing at a ball outside off stump and edging to the wicketkeeper.

His brother Andrew missed the boat, driving to extra cover, but Danny Law and Ian Hunter put on 87, with Law going on to to make 74 as Durham totalled 450 for eight.

The students have a couple of useful opening bowlers in Lee Daggett and Justin Bishop, but although they quickly saw off Michael Gough, Jon Lewis and Gordon Muchall, it was never a day for furrowed brows.

On the day when all the gimmickry to be attached to the Twenty20 Cup in midsummer was announced, it was good to know that the Racecourse's natural glories remain unchanged.

Taking lunch in a fives court may not be what the players are used to, but for the die-hard Durham fans it was an opportunity to admire the setting, recall the days of Larkins and Dean Jones and pray that Peng and Pratt can reproduce this form in the championship.

In his run-up and action, Daggett proved a dead ringer for Sussex's James Kirtley, and when Gough drove at a ball of almost yorker length in the fourth over his off stump went reeling.

Left-armer Bishop has some first-class form with Essex and added two more scalps to his tally when Muchall miscued a pull to mid-on and Lewis edged to the slips. If there was a frown on Moxon's face, there were no worries in the middle as Pratt had made only five when a dismissive pull sent the ball soaring into the Wear.

Peng survived a low return chance to Bishop on 16, but he had already leant into a couple of immaculately-timed on-side shots and was soon piercing the covers.

Pratt also unveiled a full repertoire of handsome strokes, including late cuts against the left-arm spin of Kent's Rob Ferley.

He had hit 16 fours and two sixes when his 104-ball innings ended, and Peng added a second six of his own when he smashed Ferley wide of long-on into the river.

It would have been asking too much of Law and Hunter to maintain the quality of strokes, but at least they got in some valuable practice and there was time for Liam Plunkett to show his batting skills on his first-class debut.

The 19-year-old Teessider is primarily a bowler, but Moxon believes he can make a genuine all-rounder and he took his chance well with 25 not out before a sunny day suddenly gave way to rain half an hour before the scheduled close.