FORMER England batsman Graeme Fowler yesterday questioned the logic of University Centres of Excellence producing first-class cricketers, only for them to be denied jobs by overseas players.

After seeing his Durham University side dismiss a strong Durham line-up for 277 at the Racecourse, he said: "Since 1997 we have sent 27 players into first-class cricket, but only two of the current side are on county staffs.

"There aren't as many summer contracts being handed out because counties are taking on people who are not English and there is less of a desire to bring people on. One day the wheels are going to fall off."

Early last season the university's Lee Daggett took eight for 94 against Durham, while yesterday paceman David Balcombe, who has played for Surrey seconds, took five for 112.

Fowler, who played for Lancashire before ending his career with Durham, was not impressed by Durham's failure to show any interest in Daggett while giving first-class games to Tahir Mughal and Pallav Kumar.

"Obviously they have their own structures but it wouldn't harm them to look elsewhere," he said. "Lee played half a season for Derbyshire seconds but didn't earn a penny for it, which is no good to a hard-up student.

"In our first match this season Alistair Maiden scored an unbeaten double century against Somerset, who had a strong attack and played proper cricket.

"He has been offered second X1 trials, but if you have scored 211 not out you have already proved yourself. He's not the finished article but he obviously has the ability.

"It has been worked out that the best return on investment comes from the University Centres of Excellence, but some of our players spend all winter building up for a season which can be over once they've done their exams. After July 1 they are waiting for the phone to ring."

Fowler pointed the finger at his native county, Lancashire, for starting the trend by employing Joe Scuderi, an Australian with an Italian passport, five years ago, keeping Durham University's Mark Chilton out of the side.

"It was plain to most people that Mark was going to develop into a better player but it put his development back by two years because they wanted instant results.

"Mark's currently one of three county captains we have produced along with Luke Sutton at Derbyshire and Ben Hutton at Middlesex, where Andrew Strauss has also done the job."

Maiden and university skipper Will Smith, who is on the Nottinghamshire staff, put on 300 at Taunton last month and reached 66 yesterday before Smith fell for 31, with the students closing on 77 for one.

While Durham's stand-in captain Dale Benkenstein was out for a duck, neither was there any instant success for either of Durham's two new overseas players.

New Zealander Nathan Astle settled in comfortably when Durham chose to bat, but after a break for rain, with the score on 25 without loss, he missed a full-length ball from the pacy Balcombe on the restart and was bowled for 11.

Australian Ashley Noffke was unable to make a breakthrough in bowling seven overs for 27 runs but is happy just to get some overs under his belt.

"I haven't bowled competitively since the Pura Cup final nine weeks ago," said the Queenslander, whose arrival was delayed by a back problem.

"I've had a bowl every morning since I arrived last week and I feel pretty good, but you have to take it in stages.

"I'm keen to play at Worcester next week and might even make the two one-dayers this weekend, but we'll have to see how I come out of it after having a good bowl in this match. There's still a lot of cricket left."

Daggett is still building up his fitness after a back operation in January and was sparingly used, while impressive left-armer Glen Read got through 15 overs in the morning, taking one for 22, and was straight back on after lunch.

Swinging the ball into the right-handers, he could also make it hold its line and formed a very useful new-ball partnership with Balcombe, who was quicker and moved the ball away.

Read's late swing had Gordon Muchall lbw, then Benkenstein was the first of three batsmen to edge catches off Balcombe.

At 58 for four the situation was not dissimilar to the 35 for three at which Nicky Peng went in two years ago on this ground, when he reached a century by lunch and went on to make 158.

It was tougher going this time, but Peng and Gareth Breese put on 88 before Breese cut to backward point, then there was a brief period when Peng and Phil Mustard threatened to cut loose.

The wicketkeeper opened up with three fours and a straight six in an over off seamer Nick Lamb, then Peng pulled a six before edging Balcombe to first slip.

He made 87 off 124 balls, with several of his 15 fours being handsomely driven just to the on-side of straight.

Mustard, on 44, found mid-wicket's hands off the second ball of the only over of spin, bowled by James Morris, then Noffke showed some batting prowess before another good ball from Balcombe found the edge.

Graeme Bridge added useful runs at the end but the total was some way short of expectations.