A captain has an unenviable task judging when to declare at Taunton, as emphasised yesterday when Somerset achieved the fourth highest total to win a first-class match in England, making 476 runs to defeat Yorkshire by four wickets.

Centuries by Arul Suppiah and Peter Trego, who struck nine sixes, and a customarily brilliant innings of 96 by Marcus Trescothick brought about the triumph and, given the condition of the square, it was not wholly unexpected.

Trego finished with an unbeaten 103 off 54 balls, including six fours, and Suppiah struck 131 from 175 balls, with 14 fours and two sixes. There was a cameo innings of 49 from 32 balls by David Stiff, the hard-hitting fast bowler.

Poor Yorkshire. They had even batted on in the morning to try to ensure that they would not be beaten. They were defeated by the flat pitch as well as the brilliance of the batsmen.

The highest total to win a championship match in England occurred when Middlesex made 502 for six to beat Nottinghamshire in 1925. Patsy Hendren scored a double century. In several respects, Trescothick, with his wonderful timing and constant ability to make his runs swiftly, is the modern day equivalent of that great cricketer. No-one relishes bowling at him.

Only five years ago, Durham had scored 453 for nine to beat Somerset at Taunton, and that, in addition to the fact that the pitch had not deteriorated at all, as well as the presence of Trescothick, would have influenced Anthony McGrath’s thinking. This was not exactly like leaving a target on a green top at Derby in an overcast spring. Weighed against all this was the prospect of a quite unwanted record: Yorkshire had never before gone 18 matches without a championship victory.

So they chose to bat on for a further 4.4 overs in the morning and added 34 runs. A little more forceful batting the previous evening would have brought that about, but by the time Trescothick and Suppiah had made 123 without loss from 25 overs at lunch, it seemed neither here nor there. Yorkshire needed wickets more than they did keeping the run rate under the required 5.28 an over.

Suppiah, much to his credit, more or less kept pace with Trescothick, square driving Steven Patterson to the boundary to bring up a partnership of 100, and pulling Jacques Rudolph’s first ball, a full bunger, for six. Trescothick’s timing was such that he could flick a good length ball to the third man boundary, which he did twice - an astonishing piece of invention. It all paved the way for Trego’s terrific, match-winning hitting.

Durham, needing a further 115 runs to beat Worcestershire, with nine wickets left, were fortunate the rain held off just long enough. They also benefited from an early escape by Michael Di Venuto, their eventual match-winner, who hoisted to long leg only for Alexei Kervezee to drop the simple chance. Di Venuto accelerated to a hundred as Durham won by five wickets. A fourth consecutive win extends their lead to 18 points.

Rain came close to halting Durham’s march. It started 20 minutes earlier than local forecasters had predicted - but by then Durham had completed their scamper to victory, which yesterday required them to make 115 with nine wickets in hand. They did it in 75 minutes.

And if the home side were fortunate with the weather - which meantime had held up Nottinghamshire - they also benefited from an escape for Michael Di Venuto, their eventual match-winner.

It was early in the final session when Di Venuto, 43 overnight, hoisted a ball to long leg, where Alexei Kervezee, who barely had to move, dropped the simple chance at knee height.