DURHAM took advantage of perfect batting conditions to cruise towards victory at Taunton, despite a blip when both openers got out on 53.

Needing 150 after dismissing Somerset for 230, with Chris Rushworth taking six for 92, Durham were 81 for two at tea.

They they were given a flying start as Mark Stoneman and Keaton Jennings both reached 23 inside eight overs.

With five ducks in his last six championship innings behind him, Jennings got off the mark first ball and proceeded to play like a man full of confidence.

It helped that once the hugely impressive Rushworth tired in his eighth over this morning bowling became a thankless task on a flat deck under cloudless skies.

Even Rushworth saw his figures deteriorate from six for 31 as Somerset's last two wickets put on 134 with Peter Trego scoring 79 and Abdur Rehmann an unbeaten 55.

Coming together at 96 for eight, when the lead was only 15, they put on 99 before Trego tried to hook a Graham Onions bouncer and lobbed a return catch.

Rehmann did succeed in pulling Onions for six to reach his 50 off 80 balls and Paul Collingwood had to bring himself on to end the innings. Jamie Overton hit his first ball to the boundary but was bowled by the fourth.

When Overton came on second change Jennings hit his first three balls for four before the 6ft 5in bowler succeeded in making his undoubted pace count.

He applied the brake and when Somerset finally brought on Rehmann with 53 on the board he had Jennings caught at slip for 26 with his third ball.

In the next over Stoneman surrendered for the same score, carving an Overton long hop straight to James Hildreth, ten yards in from the cover boundary.

Although Overton induced some ducking and diving, Scott Borthwick and Michael Richardson kept the board ticking over against him, while Rehmann's five overs to tea cost only seven runs.