DURHAM won the toss, but found bowling hard going at Chester-le-Street this morning.
Marcus Trescothick put them to the sword in a typically dominant display from the powerful left-hander.
It had started well for the hosts, who took just eight balls before claiming their first wicket. It would be their only one of the session.
Callum Thorp got the ball to leave Arul Suppiah (nought) a fraction, and Scott Borthwick took a good catch diving to his left at third slip. It was Thorp and Suppiah's second balls of the match.
Somerset captain Trescothick was in imperious form, however. The former England left-hander is still one of the best batsmen on the county circuit. He tucked Graham Onions off his legs for four, and dealt only in boundaries for his first 24 runs.
Ruel Brathwaite was brought on at the Lumley End to staunch the flow of runs. He was on the mark from ball one, bowling a maiden and only conceding two off his next. But the next two overs went for 26 as Trescothick got back into his stride.
A cut four brought up his 50 from 47 balls, 11 of them going for four. He fished at one from Thorp on 55, but made no contact.
The carnage forced Mustard to bring seamer Dale Benkenstein into the attack in the 18th over, with 80 runs already on the board. He calmed things down with five overs costing just two runs as he made the most of the gathering cloud cover.
Wickets, though, were harder to come by, Trescothick's only alarm an edge to the former captain so thick it almost went square, but soft enough to be way short of the slips.
He was on 62 then, and had not added to it when Thorp dug one in and found steepling bounce. By then rain was falling, and the players left the field 15 minutes ahead of the scheduled lunch break with Somerset on 94-1.
Neil Compton, grandson of the great Dennis, was 22 not out. Twenty six overs and two balls had been bowled.
Somerset's batting has been weakened by a left quad injury to Craig Kieswetter. The South African-born England wicketkeeper has started the season in fine form, scoring a century and two fifties in four Championship matches, averaging 42. He also has two hundreds in 40-over cricket.
Nineteen-year-old Alex Barrow has taken his place, but Jos Buttler is expected to don the gloves.
For a full report of the first day's play, read tomorrow's Journal.
