Coughlin career-best sees off Somerset

Paul Coughlin's career-best performance saw Durham move back to the top of the table with their fifth win from seven games in the LV= County Championship while Somerset slipped to the foot of the table.

Coughlin finished with figures of 10-6-10-4, following his important second-innings half-century, and wicketkeeper Michael Richardson held five catches as Somerset succumbed for 158 to lose by 120 runs, slipping to a defeat that looked most unlikely on the second afternoon.

Durham's surge has come even though they have failed to gain a batting point for the last four matches.

"I'm surprised we are top because we know there are areas we need to improve," Paul Collingwood said, reflecting on a fourth consecutive game without a batting point. "I would like to start games a lot better but when we are in trouble it seems to bring out the fighting spirit in this team. They show incredible belief and pride in playing for Durham."

"It was an amazing performance for a young guy," Collingwood said of Coughlin. "His runs were invaluable and he set it up for John Hastings to take the game away from them when their bowlers were tired."

Hastings' 79 from 68 balls on the second day changed the game and Somerset skipper Marcus Trescothick admitted: "It slipped away from us in that session. We have done well in the last two weeks and we were ahead of the game here.

"The potential is there but we have to sustain it. You know it's always going to be tricky here and to score 279 to win was a tough ask. We showed some good resolve and stuck in, but the damage was done yesterday."

As Somerset consider their wicketkeeping options following Craig Kieswetter's enforced retirement and a five-ball duck for Alex Barrow, who has struggled badly all season and was relegated to No. 9 in the order, they might cast envious glances at Durham. Richardson, who recently took over the gloves from the axed Phil Mustard, held five catches, including a brilliant leg-side take to send back Johann Myburgh for a duck.

That came immediately after Graham Onions had Tom Abell lbw for 2 and it would have been 10 for 3 had Collingwood held on to a chance at first slip before James Hildreth had scored. Hildreth and Trescothick gave Somerset hope with a stand of 53 before the pitch's variable bounce accounted for both. Hildreth was bowled by Coughlin's third ball, which kept very low, then a leg stump ball from Chris Rushworth leapt at Trescothick and lobbed off the shoulder of the bat to gully.

Tom Cooper was the first to go after lunch, although he clearly didn't agree with the caught behind decision that gave Graham Onions his third wicket. Jim Allenby and Peter Trego did not look in too much difficulty in putting on 26, but then Allenby tried to hook a John Hastings bouncer and edged to Richardson.

After Trego played himself in quietly there was a shift in momentum in the 40th over as Onions' 13th of the innings cost 17 runs, including a no-ball. Hastings had conceded only 14 in 12, but the next over produced 12 runs as Trego and Lewis Gregory began to go for their shots.

But the pair were stymied by a double change, as the stand of 41 ended when Coughlin moved one sharply away from Gregory to give Richardson his fourth catch. Alex Barrow survived only five balls before shuffling into a ball from Chris Rushworth which had him lbw for nought. Trego then fell for 35 in identical fashion to Gregory and it was all over when Tim Groenewald drove Coughlin to deep mid-off.