PERHAPS the TV crew who arrived at The Parks on Wednesday thought the Harmison in the Durham team was Steve. In fact, he was close to playing against Oxford UCCE, but it was his 20-year-old brother Ben who stole the show yesterday.

Harmison junior became the first Durham player to score a century on his first-class debut since John Glendenen on the same ground in 1992.

Durham declared at tea on 288 for five, 74 behind, in the hope of setting up an interesting run chase on the final day today. That's assuming the students play ball after stretching their lead to 180 by reaching 106 for two at the close.

Glendenen's 117 proved to be his only first-class hundred, his happy-go-lucky approach preventing him from maximising his talent.

Harmison has the advantage of finding inspiration within the family and observing the fruits of hard work, and while there were some easy pickings on offer yesterday it will be a surprise if he doesn't go on to have a successful career.

While Gary Scott dominated an opening stand of 98 with James Lowe, left-hander Harmison easily outpaced Scott in the second wicket partnership of 100.

Ben was 53 behind the opener at lunch but came out with a flurry of cover drives and Scott made only 11 of the 56 they added after the break.

He then ruined his own chances of a century by pulling a long hop straight to deep square leg after making his first-class best of 90 off 151 balls.

Scott's exit brought in Gareth Breese, the one regular first team batsman taken to The Parks in the hope that he could find some form.

The alternative, as with Gary Pratt, was to leave him at Riverside to work in the nets and that would have proved a better option as Breese's misfortune continued with a first-ball duck.

He pushed forward to what umpire Neil Bainton said was the best ball bowled by leg-spinner Michael Munday, who is on the Somerset staff, and gloved it to the wicketkeeper.

In the previous over Harmison was on 71 when he survived his only real scare, umpire Vanburn Holder having to decide whether he played the ball down into his boot or the ground before it lobbed up to the wicketkeeper.

The batsman hopped around unconcerned by the appealing then continued to cash in on regular full tosses from the spinners.

On 99 he received an inviting long hop and duly put it away through mid-wicket for his 14th four to reach his century off 121 balls.

His first boundary provided an early glimpse of his class as it was handsomely driven wide of mid-off and in reaching 26 at lunch he also hit his only six, depositing a Munday full toss over the leg-side rope.

With Steve Moreton also bowling there was a brief period when leg-spin operated from both ends, something not seen in a match involving Durham since Peter Kippax and Wasim Raja bowled together in their Minor Counties days.

Neither of yesterday's practitioners looked likely to aspire to Kippax's class, and after Moneeb Iqbal's efforts for Durham on Wednesday it again underlined how difficult it is to produce leg-spinners in this country.

Oxford also had a left-arm wrist spinner in Nick Woods, but in truth their side appears to be packed with batsmen.

Most of the Oxford University men are taking exams, so the side includes nine from the old polytechnic, now known as Oxford Brookes.

Mali Richards, son of Sir Viv, beat Scott with a couple of early beauties which also carried surprise value as he was generally wayward.

Although more gentle in pace, the other new ball bowler, Tarique Kalam, was by far the tightest of the seven-man attack with figures of 14-3-34-0.

The change bowlers, Luke Parker and Peter Young, bowled gentle away swingers of modest club standard, but Lowe fell lbw to Parker for 29 in trying to pull a ball which kept a shade low.

Scott reached 50 off 60 balls but was less happy against the spinners and needed 91 balls to score his remaining 40 runs.

With the declaration looming Harmison drove to a catch to mid-off on 110 then Kyle Coetzer, who played well for his 35, was lbw to Moreton.

When Oxford batted again Peter Wilshaw survived chances to the slips on 25 and 26 off Callum Thorp, Lowe spilling a regulation catch and Breese a difficult one.

Wilshaw went on to hit ten fours in his 50, several of them off the edge with no third man posted.

He was then run out to end an opening stand of 92 in 20 overs before improved bowling from Mark Davies, well supported by Neil Killeen, applied the brake.

Davies moved one away to have Moreton caught by wicketkeeper Garry Park and was unlucky not to take any more wickets as he looked more like his old self.