Durham, arguably the best seam-bowling side in the championship, have allowed Somerset to reach 352 for eight, after which the visiting team's more modest attack restricted the home side to 261. A 7-4 advantage to Somerset in bonus points feels about right, but a boxing judge might even have had it at a bigger margin.

Yesterday, Durham were 145 for six in mid-afternoon after a number of dismissals that hinted at minds distracted by Twenty20. The follow-on was avoided thanks to a unflustered and positive tail, led by Liam Plunkett's 52. Useful stands involved Phil Mustard, who made 32, and Callum Thorp, with 29. But the deficit of 91 could yet encourage Justin Langer, the Somerset captain, to try to contrive a victory. That would be some achievement for a match that did not start until Saturday afternoon.

Scoreboard

Somerset: First Innings (overnight 324-6)
P D Trego b Thorp 68
C Kieswetter c B W Harmison b Plunkett 43
P S Jones not out 10
A C Thomas not out 8
Extras (lb 5) 5

Total (8 wkts dec, 81.4 overs) 352

C M Willoughby did not bat.

Fall of wickets: 1-29, 2-29, 3-42, 4-139, 5-177, 6-277, 7-334, 8-334.

Bowling: S J Harmison 21-2-72-4; Onions 11-2-44-1; Plunkett 14-0-76-1; Thorp 13.4-5-44-1; Wiseman 18-1-93-1; B W Harmison 4-0-18-0.

Second Innings
M E Trescothick not out 6
N J Edwards not out 10
Extras 0

Total (no wkt, 9 overs) 16

Bowling: S J Harmison 5-1-8-0; Onions 4-1-8-0.

Durham: First Innings
M J Di Venuto c Trescothick b Willoughby 40
M D Stoneman c Kieswetter b Jones 53
W R Smith c Kieswetter b Thomas 14
*D M Benkenstein c Edwards b Trego 21
B W Harmison b Blackwell 3
P Mustard c Kieswetter b Thomas 32
P J Wiseman c de Bruyn b Trego 3
L E Plunkett c Blackwell b de Bruyn 52
C D Thorp lbw b Blackwell 29
G Onions b de Bruyn 0
S J Harmison not out 0
Extras (b 4, lb 1, w 1, nb 8) 14

Total (74.5 overs) 261

Fall of wickets: 1-68, 2-114, 3-114, 4-138, 5-138, 6-145, 7-201, 8-251, 9-261.

Bowling: Willoughby 20-5-63-1; Thomas 14-3-74-2; Jones 15-4-45-1; Blackwell 15-3-33-2; Trego 6-1-22-2; de Bruyn 4.5-0-19-2.

Umpires: N G B Cook and J W Lloyds.