KENT yesterday refused to roll over as Leicestershire did in the face of a massive Durham total in the first match of last season.

The strength of their batting is the main reason why Kent have always been in division one and they look capable of grinding out a draw after reaching 169 for two.

After Gordon Muchall stretched his overnight 193 to 219 and Phil Mustard maintained control of his swashbuckling strokes long enough to make 130 Durham batted on for an over after lunch before being all out for 575.

They added only three runs after the interval, but by not declaring new skipper Dale Benkenstein showed he believes in grinding opponents' noses into the dust.

Unfortunately there is still sufficient moisture in the Canterbury soil to prevent the pitch turning to dust and Durham's depleted attack could extract no more life out of the placid surface than their hosts.

Graham Onions looked sharp in his first few overs but Neil Killeen, looking slimmer in his benefit year, was the pick of the bowlers.

Coming on second change, he made the breakthrough in his second over with the score on 60 and completely shackled David Fulton while also getting past his outside edge countless times.

Killeen and the other change bowler Callum Thorp, who had a few decent shouts for lbw, conceded only 22 runs in 15 overs between them in mid-afternoon but when Ottis Gibson returned Fulton got the scoreboard ticking over again.

Gibson was in the opposition when Durham declared at 523 for eight at Grace Road last year then dismissed Leicestershire for 123 and 184, most of the wickets falling to Steve Harmison, Liam Plunkett and Mark Davies.

All are absent this time, along with Mick Lewis, and although Plunkett is not centrally contracted England coach Duncan Fletcher has requested that he shouldn't play until May 1.

With Harmison hoping to be fit to resume then and Davies expected to have attained full match fitness, Durham could field a very different attack in their opening C & G Trophy match at home to Northants.

Muchall hooked his only six off Robbie Joseph in the second over yesterday to move on to 199 then pushed a single to mid-on to become only the second Englishman to make a championship double century for Durham.

The first was John Morris with 204 in the 1994 match at Edgbaston in which Brian Lara made 501 not out. That was also the match in which Durham's 556 for eight declared was their third highest total until it was surpassed yesterday.

While Mustard showed a new maturity in his shot selection, his maiden century taking 174 balls, there was no shortage of his usual entertainment.

He scorched from 84 to 100, advancing to hit successive balls from Amjad Khan over and through extra cover then smashing a shorter ball over wide mid-on for six with little more than a short-arm pull.

He ran Khan wide of gully for two to complete his hundred, but his relative restraint was underlined by the fact that he was on 112 when his record sixth wicket stand of 249 with Muchall ended rather tamely.

Muchall had batted for 398 minutes, faced 308 balls and hit 32 fours and a six when he slapped an innocuous ball from medium pacer Neil Dexter to extra cover.

His 219 equalled Marcus North's score at Cardiff two years ago and the only higher scores for Durham have been made by Martin Love (twice) and Mike Hussey.

Muchall's exit brought in Gibson, who had made only two when he drove Dexter over extra cover for the first of three sixes he smashed in making 33 off 33 balls.

Mustard had two sixes and 14 fours in his 198-ball innings, which ended when he lifted Joseph to long-on.

Hopefully it will be the first of many centuries for the wicketkeeper, who also took the catches off Killeen and Benkenstein which which gave Durham their two wickets.

Benkenstein, who didn't bowl in the second half of last season because of a shoulder problem, came on with the score on 130 for one and struck in his second over. He moved one away to find Fulton's edge as the batsman played back and fell for 62.

Four overs later Benkenstein had a big appeal for lbw turned down by Peter Willey with Martin van Jaarsveld on 36.

The South African added one run before retiring hurt when his hamstring cramped up. Doubtless he will be able to resume today, when Durham face a day of hard graft if they are to capitalise on the magnificent efforts of Mustard and Muchall.

* Marcus Trescothick suffered double disappointment as he was dismissed twice on his return to action in Somerset's County Championship opener.

The England opener managed just 12 in the first innings and was then removed for four as Somerset followed on and plunged towards defeat in their Second Division match against Gloucestershire at Bristol.

Gloucestershire captain Jon Lewis was the chief destroyer, taking competition-best figures of seven for 38 as Somerset were shot out for 143 to concede a first-innings deficit of 294.

Lewis claimed three more second time around but Australian Cameron White held up the hosts' victory charge with a defiant unbeaten 154 on debut which included 22 fours and three sixes. Nevertheless, at 268 for eight - 26 behind - defeat was still very much on the cards for the visitors.

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