SCINTILLATING strokeplay by Gary Pratt and Nicky Peng propelled Durham to a seven-wicket victory in their opening National League game at Taunton yesterday.

With a stand of 164 in 23 overs, they upstaged South African paceman Dewald Pretorius, who made an impressive start with four for 31 as Somerset totalled 233 for nine after being put in.

Pratt oozed class as he hit the fastest 50 for Durham in the one-day league, reaching the target in 37 balls, and went on to complete his first senior hundred.

The 21-year-old left-hander equalled the county's fastest century in the competition when he swivelled to pull the 79th ball he faced to long leg for his 14th four.

The record has stood since Durham's first day as a first-class county in 1992, when Dean Jones set the Racecourse alight in the win against Lancashire.

Durham were 112 for two after 17 overs when a rain break left them with a revised target of 215 in 40 overs and they romped home with 7.2 overs to spare.

Peng provided the power, Pratt the artistry and immaculate timing as they repeatedly found the off-side gaps off the back foot.

Light rain was just starting to fall in the tenth over, which has to be completed for a result to be declared and at that stage Durham were only three ahead under the Duckworth/Lewis calculations.

But with Peng and Pratt taking their stand to 87 in 11 overs before the break Durham were 35 in front and they took 12 off the first over on the restart.

Having chosen to leave out Nixon McLean and Richard Johnson, Somerset bowled increasingly poorly as the ball became damp and they also dropped Peng on 14 and 20 from skied pulls.

Otherwise he was back to the form which brought him three one-day hundreds in 2001, cracking nine fours in his 51-ball half-century and adding six more before he fell for 92, getting an inside edge into his stumps.

There was a good deal of controversy in the Somerset innings and Hartlepool-born umpire George Sharp's part in it did nothing to raise his reputation in the eyes of Durham fans.

He gave Marcus Trescothick not out on 48 when every Durham player within earshot was convinced that the England opener had edged Neil Killeen to Andrew Pratt.

While several aired their views to Trescothick, he seemed to take the greatest exception to whatever Gary Pratt said from deepish gully, advancing towards him in what threatened to be an ugly scene.

There were also two incidents in the 41st over, the final one of the eight Michael Gough sent down to ensure Durham bowled their overs in the time allowed.

Off the first ball Stephen Harmison dived forward and appeared to catch Keith Dutch at long-off. Dutch declined to walk and umpire Jeremy Lloyds consulted Sharp at square leg before deciding the batsman could stay.

Four balls later young left-hander Gareth Andrews swept to deep mid-wicket, where Vince Wells caught the ball then threw it up, realising his momentum was going to take him over the rope.

The ball stayed inside the boundary, but after consulting Sharp, Lloyds signalled a six. Then at the close of the innings it was announced that the umpires had changed their minds and only one run was awarded.

Pretorius, generating good pace the day after his arrival, yorked home skipper Mike Burns with his third ball, removing the middle stump.

He then came under the general fire dished out by Trescothick, finishing with one for 22 in his opening five-over spell.

He returned for the 32nd over with the score on 161 for five and produced a wicket maiden as Rob Turner played across a full-length ball and was lbw.

Pretorius's next over yielded three singles before he was rested again, returning at the death to have Andrews caught at mid-on and bowl Dutch for 39.

Srinath had none for 56 in his nine overs. In the fifth over of the day Trescothick square drove him for a glorious four then smashed the next ball over long-off for six.

There was a bizarre piece of cricket when left-handed Andrews, a 19-year-old making his first team debut, first came in. Srinath bowled him four dot balls then went round the wicket and was clipped to long leg for four.

Durham left out Nicky Phillips, a useful one-day bowler, in order to include Harmison, who persuaded Jamie Cox to drive to mid-on but conceded 35 runs in five overs.

It also meant that Durham were struggling to bowl their overs in the allotted two hours 50 minutes. Failure to do so adds six runs per over to the opponents' total.

Durham were behind schedule when they brought on Gough for the 27th over immediately after Trescothick skied a pull to deep mid-wicket for 74.

Despite bowling one of Durham's six wides in his first over, Gough's good control allowed Jon Lewis to leave him on for eight overs, which cost only 38 when Somerset were looking to press on.

Durham began the final over right on the cut-off time of 3.50, although it had been announced they would be granted two extra minutes because of various delays.

Somerset looked like making at least 250 while Trescothick was batting, especially during a fourth wicket stand of 65 in ten overs with Keith Parsons.

Left out of the championship side, local man Parsons emerged to a big reception and made 35 before chipping Vince Wells to mid-wicket.

Wells's variations also accounted for Trescothick as he was almost yorked then fell to a long hop next ball, Gough comfortably holding the catch.

Gough opened Durham's reply with Peng and made ten before an inside edge was well held by wicketkeeper Rob Turner.

Two balls later Wells tried to run Andrews to third man and Trescothick reached above his head to hold the catch at slip.

Peng should have been caught shortly afterwards, but Parsons failed to lay a hand on the ball and the Durham tyros never looked back.

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