DURHAM'S patient batting on a placid Riverside pitch began to pay dividends as their change bowlers made inroads into Somerset's batting last evening.

Nicky Peng diligently compiled his first championship half-century at headquarters for two years in Durham's total of 345, then Mark Davies, Vince Wells and Graeme Bridge all struck in their first overs.

With Wells gaining a second lbw verdict from a previously reluctant Vanburn Holder, Somerset closed the second day on 83 for four.

This was encouraging for Durham as the pitch was again too slow for Shoaib Akhtar's liking and the visitors reached 33 without loss after eight overs before he was replaced by Davies.

Making his first championship appearance of the season, the Teessider struck with his second ball as Jamie Bryant pushed forward on off stump and edged to Phil Mustard.

Bryant, an EU-qualified South African, was opening for the first time, despite not making a half-century since scoring 51 in the second innings against Durham at Taunton in April.

Davies continued to bowl well and did not concede a run for three overs, while Neil Killeen had a big lbw appeal turned down by Holder, who then gave out the dangerous Jamie Cox to Wells' fourth ball.

The angry swish of the Australian's bat narrowly missed the stumps after he was given out playing to leg. Left-hander Tom Webley, a Bristol boy making his championship debut, padded up to Wells six overs later and was given out for six.

Shoaib returned for another four-over burst and might have had Mike Burns twice had he posted a third slip.

The visiting captain remained unbeaten on 25, but when Bridge was introduced four overs before the close Ian Blackwell tried to turn his fifth ball to leg and edged it to Wells at slip.

After a brisk start when they resumed on 164 for five, Durham showed little inclination to press on in an effort to make up for the loss of half a day on Wednesday.

They twice accepted offers of bad light in mid-afternoon, costing a further eight overs and creating a few rumblings among the restless natives.

In adding 181 runs in 62.1 overs the intention was obviously to achieve as many bonus points as possible so it was unfortunate that five runs short of the fourth Shoaib holed out at deep mid-wicket.

He lashed one enormous six to the same area, but was otherwise very restrained in making 26 off 55 balls. It suggested he felt it was a pitch for batting rather than bowling on, and at least Durham passed 300 in their first innings for the fourth successive match.

The most fluent batting came from Phil Mustard, who added 43 in the first nine overs with Peng.

They had just taken 11 off an over from Richard Johnson, including a four straight back over his head by Mustard, when the wicketkeeper fell for 31, made off 39 balls.

Nixon McLean went round the wicket to the left-hander, who shaped to turn him to leg but got a leading edge straight back to the bowler.

Peng had batted with equal fluency in moving on from his overnight six to 30, but as he laid the foundations of another good stand with Graeme Bridge he lost some of his timing and was tied down by left-arm spinner Blackwell.

With batting places shortly to be at a premium, however, this was a commendable effort by Peng as he showed great patience in reaching 50 off 134 balls.

Somerset had sent for Carl Gazzard to keep wicket following the ankle injury suffered by Rob Turner, and the youngster gave Bridge a life on 14.

An edge off Johnson flew at shoulder height to Gazzard's right and later in the over Peng, on 38, drove the ball back past Johnson's shins but the England man failed to lay a hand on it.

Peng was also missed on 42 when he edged a loose drive at the innocuous Aaron Laraman and Mike dived across from first slip to put down a chance which would have carried to second.

Peng was beginning to play with more freedom when he turned Johnson exquisitely through mid-wicket for his sixth four, but then he cut fiercely to point, where Jamie Bryant took the catch by his bootlaces.

The stand was worth 78, but as so often happens with Durham the other partner perished in the next over. Bridge had made 42, but was not exactly in line when a shooter from McLean took out his middle stump.

Shoaib faced two balls before accepting the first offer of bad light, which is not what we expect at 2.10 on a July afternoon.

On the resumption he was dropped on nought by Cox, who ran 15 yards to get under a skier at extra cover off Johnson.

Shoaib then battened down to share a stand of 54 with Killeen, who made most of his 26 behind square on the off side before edging Laraman to third slip.

The Pakistani swiftly followed then delivered his customary four overs at the start of the innings before retiring to the dressing room for ten minutes.

He had conceded 20 runs and caused few problems, but by the time he returned the gentler bowlers had Somerset in trouble