IT was less than half an hour into yesterday's play at Riverside before the question arose: "How many will Glamorgan set Durham to win in the fourth innings?"

Not less than 500 presumably after they sensationally knocked off 451 at Taunton, although their first task here will be to avoid the follow-on.

Glamorgan piled up 393, compared with Somerset's 375, and for the second successive match Durham had to bat for three overs at the close of the first day. But whereas they survived at Taunton, this time they lost two wickets.

Skipper Jon Lewis pushed tentatively at David Harrison's third ball and edged low to second slip, and in the third over nightwatchman Neil Killeen was caught at short leg to leave Durham on four for two.

They will be anxious to avoid any further mishaps early today, otherwise the confidence built up by last weekend's runs will be seriously undermined.

There was never much doubt that the visitors would reach something close to 400 after they flew out of the blocks through Australian left-hander Matthew Elliott, who pulled the unfortunate Pallav Kumar for six in the day's fourth and six overs.

Mark Wallace watched enviously from the other end then got off the mark by pulling Kumar for another six.

After a stand of 66 both openers were removed by Mark Davies, who seems to be left to make the breakthrough in every innings at the moment.

His two wickets took him back to the top of the championship list alongside Dimitri Mascarenhas on 25, but his efforts to carry the depleted Durham attack are taking their toll.

In his two spells in the afternoon he had figures of 9-3-45-0, mainly due to the onslaught from Michael Powell, who raced to the fastest championship century of the season in 90 balls, four faster than previous leader Marcus North's effort at Derby.

Powell made 198 at Riverside last season, and on a horses-for-courses basis it is just as well that Michael Kasprowicz is required to cull Zimbabwean rabbits instead. He took nine for 45 in the second innings last year after Durham had been set 488 to win and lost by 369 runs.

While Powell was on his way to 124 yesterday, Glamorgan looked likely to make an even bigger total. But both he and Matthew Maynard got out carelessly and with Kumar shrugging off his initial nerves to take three wickets, Durham's blushes were spared.

There were also two wickets for Gareth Breese, who found some turn on the dry pitch, which could be an ominous sign with Robert Croft and left-arm spinner Dean Cosker in the opposition.

Skipper Croft's 81 steadied Glamorgan after they slipped from 206 for two to 261 for five and he will have a big part to play in this match.

It was certainly a roller-coaster day for Kumar, the 22-year-old Sunderland University student making his Durham debut in place of the injured Shoaib Akhtar.

In cases of short-term injuries counties are not allowed to replace one overseas player with another, and although born in India, Kumar holds a British passport.

There have been plenty of cases of young bowlers making a nervous start to a first-class career - Martin Saggers was a memorable example for Durham and he has gone on to play for England.

Kumar was certainly afflicted and after the three early sixes, he was pulled for another off the second ball of his second spell by another left-hander, David Hemp.

But after contributing 45 to the third-wicket stand of 133 with Powell, Hemp reached for a square drive off Kumar and edged to Andrew Pratt.

The wicket lifted Kumar's confidence and he forced Harrison to slice a catch to Gary Pratt at backward point, then had Alex Wharf lbw to finish with a creditable return of three for 78.

Croft became Davies' 26th victim of the season late in the day, when a fierce cut was well held by Gary Pratt.

But the day belonged to Powell, whose powerful driving brought him 11 fours in his first 50. He had eight more, plus a six over long-on off the wicketless Ian Pattison, in racing to his second 50 off only 34 balls.

He finally drove Killeen to Lewis at mid-on, but it was a disappointing end to the day for the Durham captain, who bagged a pair against Glamorgan at Riverside last year.

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