AS a Sunderland fan, Durham skipper Paul Collingwood was not hugely keen when his team adopted Blaydon Races as their victory song. But he was happy to join in yesterday, the ninth of June.

According to the song, it was on that day in 1862 that the reacegoers made their way along Collingwood Street on a summer's afternoon, much like the one yesterday when Durham went back to the top of the LV County Championship.

They wrapped up a 120-run win at home to Somerset just after 3.30 on the third day, and despite failing to gain a batting point for the last four matches their fifth win from seven games meant they would stay top if Middlesex failed to beat Yorkshire.

Collingwood said: “I'm surprised we are top. Everybody knows there are areas we need to improve. We want to win by playing well from ball one, but when we are in trouble it seems to bring out the fighting spirit in this team. They show incredible belief and pride in playing for Durham.”

Paul Coughlin, a 22-year-old product of the Eppleton club, followed his 54 in Durham's second innings by taking a career-best four for ten in ten overs as Somerset were dismissed for 158.

He has made great strides since recovering from a stress fracture in the back and said: “Sometimes I have too many things going on in my head when I bat and I can't get going. This time I just played my natural game and if you bat well you turn up the next day feeling good about yourself.”

Collingwood also felt good about the all-rounder, saying: “It was an amazing performance for a young guy. His runs were invaluable and he set it up for John Hastings to take the game away from them when their bowlers were tired.”

As Somerset consider their wicketkeeping options following Craig Kieswetter's enforced retirement and a five-ball duck for makeshift gloveman Alex Barrow, they might cast envious glances at Durham.

Michael Richardson, who recently took over the gloves from Phil Mustard, held five catches, including a brilliant leg-side take to send back Johann Myburgh for a duck.

“That was an amazing catch,” said Collingwood. “He did a really good job for us behind the stumps at the end of last season, so I had a lot of confidence in him.

“He' has done well standing up the stumps and it's great for us having another all-rounder when we don't have Ben Stokes.

“I don't see any signs of it affecting his batting, but we will have to look at bringing some youngsters through. This is a difficult place to learn your cricket as a batsman, but our next game is at Arundel, where it has been quite dry, so we will consider our options.

“The pitch for this match was drier than our previous games here, which is why I decided to bat first.”

Needing 279 to win, Somerset quickly slipped to ten for two as Graham Onions had Tom Abell lbw for two then sent back Myburgh.

It would have been ten for three had Collingwood held on to a chance at first slip before James Hildreth had scored.

Hildreth and Trescothick gave Somerset hope with a stand of 53 before the pitch's variable bounce accounted for both.

Hildreth was bowled by Coughlin's third ball, which kept very low, then a leg stump ball from Chris Rushworth leapt at Trescothick and lobbed off the shoulder of the bat to gully.

Tom Cooper was the first to go after lunch, although he clearly didn't agree with the caught behind decision which gave Onions his third wicket.

Jim Allenby and Peter Trego did not look in too much difficulty in putting on 26, but then Allenby tried to hook a Hastings bouncer and edged to Richardson.

After Trego played himself in quietly there was a shift in momentum in the 40th over as Onions' 13th of the innings cost 17 runs, including a no-ball.

Hastings had conceded only 14 in 12, but the next over produced 12 runs as Trego and Lewis Gregory began to go for their shots.

They were stymied by a double change, however, as the stand of 41 ended when Coughlin moved one sharply away from Gregory to give Richardson his fourth catch.

Barrow then shuffled into a ball from Rushworth which had him lbw for nought.

Trego fell for 35 in identical fashion to Gregory and it was all over when Tim Groenewald drove Coughlin to deep mid-off.