Peng`s hundred leads Durham`s recovery at Cardiff

A career best 133 from Nicky Peng helped Durham recover from losing four cheap wickets either side of lunch, with the young batsman carefully steering his side to a more respectable 353-8 at the end the opening day of their Championship match against Glamorgan at Cardiff.

Peng shared a disciplined partnership of 96 in 38 overs for the 7th wicket with Graeme Bridge after Durham had slipped to 141-6 as Robert Croft took 4 for 12 in 36 balls. Peng also received useful support in the final hour and a half from Nicky Phillips, with the pair adding a further 116 in 27 overs for the 8th wicket.

Jon Lewis had earlier won the toss and had elected to bat first, but the Durham captain was the first wicket to fall as he got a thin outside edge in Michael Kasprowicz`s sixth over, and was caught behind. Six overs later, Durham`s other opener, Michael Gough, was well caught on the deep backward square-leg boundary by Jonathan Hughes as Gough top edged an attempted pull against Alex Wharf.

Martin Love and Gary Pratt then shared an attractive third partnership stand of 73 in 19 overs before Love was caught behind in the final over before lunch as the Australian attempted to square cut Robert Croft. Then in the third over after the interval, Pratt was bowled attempting to play a similar shot against the Glamorgan skipper, who shortly afterwards yorked Vince Wells as he advanced down the wicket.

With his next delivery the off-spinner trapped Phil Mustard leg before, before Bridge survived the hat-trick ball and then with Peng shared a steady stand for the 7th wicket to show that both survival and steady accumulation were perfectly possible on the true Sophia Gardens wicket. Peng duly reached his half-century from 99 balls, with 8 fours, and Bridge was within a run of following his partner to the fifty mark when he was well caught by Jimmy Maher at short-leg to give Croft his fifth wicket.

Peng continued to thwart the Glamorgan attack after they had taken the new ball, with the Durham batsman hitting Kasprowicz for three fours in one over. Peng`s assault rather ruined Kasprowicz`s bowling figures after the Australian had bowled a miserly spell of 8-6-2-0 after lunch. With Nicky Phillips offering valiant support at the other end, Peng reached his first Championship hundred of the season after facing 195 balls and hitting 15 fours and a six.

The youngster added a second six with a fierce pull over long leg off David Harrison to pass his previous best of 108 against Derbyshire last summer, and the pair had added 116 - a Championship best for the 8th wicket by Durham against Glamorgan - before Peng was bowled in the final over of the day, pushing forward to Dean Cosker.