NOT until the eighth match last season were Durham able to sing their victory song but Blaydon Races rang out from the visitors' dressing room yesterday after the first game of the new campaign.

Needing 150 after dismissing Somerset for 230, with Chris Rushworth taking six for 92, Durham took advantage of perfect batting conditions to cruise home by seven wickets. They bagged 23 points, one more than Yorkshire accrued at Worcester.

There was a slight hiccup when both openers got out on 53, but Scott Borthwick continued his fine form, hurrying them home with an unbeaten 51. He scored the bulk of the 69 needed after tea, hitting Tim Groenewald for four fours in an over to reach 50 off 60 balls just before the close.

While a century and five-wicket haul by skipper Paul Collingwood laid the foundation, it was Rushworth's sensational bowling which broke Somerset when they had the chance to wipe off first innings arrears of 81 on Monday evening.

Once he tired in his eighth over of the day, off which Peter Trego blasted 20 runs, bowling became a thankless task for everyone on a flat deck under cloudless skies.

Rushworth struck with the day's ninth ball, which skidded through at shin height to take out Alex Barrow's off stump. On a pitch which offered good pace and bounce it clearly surprised the batsman.

Six overs later Rushworth struck twice in two balls, nipping one back to pin Jim Allenby lbw for nine before Lewis Gregory drove airily and edged to Borthwick at second slip.

At 71 for seven Somerset were still ten behind but Tim Groenewald helped to add 25 before he drove at Hastings and sliced to Calum MacLeod at gully.

This was just reward for the Australian, who had beaten the bat several times. The fact that his contributions are likely to increase is another reason for optimism.

Trego's attacking instincts ensured that Durham would have to bat again. He hit Rushworth for three successive fours then pulled a six to reach 50 off 47 balls and shared a ninth-wicket stand of 99 with Abdur Rehmann.

Trego departed for 79 after lunch when he 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 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.

Durham were given a cracking 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.

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, Borthwick and Michael Richardson kept the board ticking over against him, while Rehmann's five overs to tea cost only seven runs.

Richardson had been the main aggressor but departed for 28 when he edged to first slip, bringing in MacLeod with 45 needed. Borthwick then moved into overdrive as he took his first-class average for the season to 124 for five.