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Day 1: Reject Jones back with point to prove

Tim Wellock

Somerset (58-1) v Durham

The danger of one of Durham's pace rejects coming back to haunt them increased yesterday when Somerset handed a first-class debut to Ian Jones, who was the first recruit to the Durham academy in 1995.

Following Steve Lugsden's move to Hampshire and Martin Saggers' recent wickets for Kent, Jones was included by Somerset on the day his boyhood friend, Melvyn Betts, was dropped by Durham.

Both are from the former pit village of Sacriston, where Jones played Tyneside Senior League cricket last season after being released by Durham following a handful of second team appearances.

``I couldn't do anything in 1997 because of a stress fracture of the back, so it was a bit disappointing to be released,'' said Jones, 22.

Jones, on a summer contract, gets his chance with Graham Rose, Paul Jarvis and Andre Van Troost among seven casualties.

On what looked an excellent pitch, David Boon lost the toss against his successor as Tasmania captain, Jamie Cox. Gregor Kennis, recalled for the injured Marcus Trescothick after being released over the winter, stroked three high-class boundaries and had one edged four in making 24 off 21 balls before he offered John Wood a return catch shortly before rain arrived after 47 minutes.

Day 2: Advantage goes to Somerset as Turner and Bulbeck rally

Tim Wellock

Durham (24-1) trail Somerset (300-9 dec) by 276

Just in case Alec Stewart does relinquish the England gloves, Rob Turner continues to press his claims after being kept on stand-by for last winter's tour of Australia. He fell five short yesterday of converting his fourth successive championship fifty into three figures, plundering his runs off 98 balls to spearhead Somerset's recovery from 126 for seven.

Turner was greatly assisted by Matt Bulbeck in a stand of 125 in 24 overs and the England Under-19 left-hander comfortably beat his previous best to reach 76 not out before the declaration left Durham to face eight overs.

Things might have been much different had Martin Speight held on to a waist-high catch to his right with Turner on 17. As conditions improved following a 12.30 start, the bat regained the dominance of the first day's brief passage of play.

As with Durham's England A pair, Melvyn Betts and Steve Harmison, Bulbeck's bowling appears not to have benefited from his winter tour. But his batting is blossoming and he took full advantage of coming to the crease just as Simon Brown's excellent spell was ending.

Brown had taken three for 28 in 13 overs, and received good support from Neil Killeen, the luckless bowler when Turner was dropped. While low bounce accounted for Piran Holloway, the rest of the top order were snared by various degrees of careless driving, extending as far as No 7 Jason Kerr, who chased a wide one from Harmison and was well taken at first slip by Paul Collingwood.

Harmison had figures of one for 277 from the previous three matches, and it briefly seemed as though Kerr's wicket might rekindle old habits as he bowled Andrew Caddick with a yorker.

There were no such early tests for Bulbeck, however, and he settled in comfortably, scored freely off his legs and hit eight fours in his 125-ball stay. A ball from Killeen which skidded on trapped Turner straight after tea, denying him his seventh first-class century.

When Durham replied, Caddick, finding plenty of lift, forced Michael Gough to glove a leg-side catch to Turner.

Day 3: Untimely departure for Morris

Tim Wellock

Somerset (300-9 dec & 68-4) lead Durham (312) by 56 runs

John Morris hit two successive fours to complete his 13th first-class hundred for Durham one ball before lunch. He dispatched the next straight into the hands of long leg.

An off-driven six was the highlight of a peerless century, scored off 112 balls, but his Riverside critics were quick to admonish Morris for the manner of his dismissal, which effectively ended Durham's chances of a substantial lead.

Following the loss of more than a day's play, the 12.30 start, with free admission after 5.30, at least allowed a full day, as conditions would have been too damp at 11am.

On a blustery evening, however, there was no apparent swelling of the crowd as the evening session began with the game locked in a stalemate.

Morris has fallen to gentle medium-pacers five times this season, but jousting with the likes of Andrew Caddick invariably brings out the best in him and he maintained his concentration against the modest support bowling.

It was the fifth bowler, Keith Parsons, who brought about Durham's decline after Morris's stand of 153 with Jon Lewis. Both perished carelessly, Lewis pulling to midwicket, but controlled swing earned Parsons' other wickets in his career-best five for 57.

Rustic swipes from Durham's last pair took them to a third batting point. John Wood then picked up three Somerset wickets.

Day 4: Jones proves point to hold off Durham

Tim Wellock

It is a year to the day since Durham's last championship win, but they were hot on the trail of victory yesterday until the task of keeping up with the Joneses took its toll and rain brought further frustration.

First a fellow named I Jones returned to haunt Durham. It might almost have been Indiana on his last crusade as he cracked the whip with menacing intent. It was, in fact, Somerset's new recruit, Ian Jones, who marked his first-class debut by making 35 as a nightwatchman.

In partnership with Michael Burns he survived for the day's first 76 minutes, taking his tenure to 101 minutes in all, before Somerset subsided from 124 for four to 158 for nine.

It was then the turn of Steffan Jones to raise a few eyebrows as he contributed 25 to a last wicket stand of 41 with Burns, who showed commendable diligence in reaching 50 not out.

Jones (S) was out just as the heavens opened and it was soon obvious that Durham would have far fewer than the scheduled 52 overs to reach their target of 188.

They were left to reflect on why another county should benefit from their three years' investment in Jones (I) after he was appointed as the first recruit to their academy in 1995 amid some fanfare.

Although primarily a pace bowler, he had a top score of 87 in Durham's second XI in 1996 but was released after missing most of the 1997 season with a stress fracture of the back.

He hails from a corner of north-west Durham which has proved a fertile breeding ground, going back to the days of Colin Milburn. Of the current Durham squad it has produced Melvyn Betts, Paul Collingwood and Neil Killeen and it was after coaching schoolboys during the winter with Killeen and John Wood that Jones was persuaded to try his luck with other counties.

Although he played and missed a few times yesterday, he generally played with calm authority and had the audacity to loft Killeen over extra cover for four before the end came rather tamely as he steered a rising ball from the same bowler to Collingwood at first slip.

Rob Turner's prolific run ended reluctantly when he waited for the decision following a confident appeal for a catch at the wicket, and three wickets had gone down in successive overs when Jason Kerr's irresponsible pull skied a catch to first slip.

Andrew Caddick, comprehensively yorked second ball by Steve Harmison in the first innings, was greeted by two bouncers from the same bowler but survived comfortably to make 17 before thrusting his pad well forward on the line of leg stump and being adjudged lbw to Simon Brown.

Caddick is comfortably the leading wicket-taker against Durham in championship cricket, with 50 in seven matches prior to this encounter, and he might have fancied his chances of getting among them again.

The Riverside is far less bowler-friendly, however, than in the days when it was known as Goose Green and, against injury-hit opponents, the odds would have slightly favoured Durham to halt their bad start to the season.