Somerset literally allowed their chances to slip through their fingers on the opening day of their Division One game with champions Durham at Taunton, writes Nathan Jones.

Six catches were put down after they had won the toss as the visitors chiselled their way to a more than useful 372-6.

The rare presence of the Sky TV cameras for a Championship game put Somerset's frailties into sharp focus. With three pacemen injured, Justin Langer’s bowlers lacked discipline and the team's overall fielding was poor.

Wicketkeeper Craig Kieswetter put down three opportunities of varying difficulty while the normally safe hands of Marcus Trescothick proved fallible twice.

The misses delayed the return to the Taunton crease of Ian Blackwell until well after tea. The former Somerset captain smashed 50 from 56 balls, but then slapped a Pete Trego full toss to cover.

Somerset's decision to bowl first on a green pitch lessens their chances of losing the game, as long as they do not follow on.

But little more went right for the hosts, who handed a debut to 24-year-old David Stiff in the absence of Andrew Caddick, Ben Phillips and Mark Turner.

Stiff, who is now with his fifth county, was given the ball after four overs. The former Kent man bowled one ball at 86mph but also far too many deliveries down the leg side.

He was not alone in doing so before lunch as all of the attack struggled for line.

Even the first wicket offered a sign of what was to come. Charl Willoughby swung one away from Michael Di Venuto and Langer fumbled the edge but fortunately Trescothick held the rebound at second slip to dismiss the batsman for 53.

Arul Suppiah grassed the next chance – dropping Mark Stoneman at point off Willoughby just before lunch – but the opener was one of two wickets to fall soon after the interval.

Alfonso Thomas saw Trescothick put Will Smith down in the slips on seven but two balls later he nipped one back to the right-hander and had him leg before wicket.

Then, before another run had been added, Stiff found some extra bounce and the edge of Stoneman’s bat for 38.

The score had gone from 119-1 to 119-3 and it would have been 119-4 if Kieswetter had held a regulation edge from Gordon Muchall off Thomas before he had scored.

Dale Benkenstein was then repreived twice, on six and 19, on his way to three figures from 153 balls with 13 fours.

First Trescothick spilt him in the slips off Willoughby, then a sharp edge off off-spinner Banks hit Kieswetter in the knee.

The wicketkeeper then put down Muchall, who had driven at Suppiah and nicked on to his pad on 54, before he was finally dismissed for 68, spooning a drive off Banks to Trescothick at cover.

Blackwell’s dismissal exposed the nightwatchman Graham Onions and he was bowled for nought by Trego in the final over of the day to give Somerset a late boost.

However, the day belonged to Benkenstein, who will resume this morning on 110 not out.

Before play, England and Wales Cricket Board chairman Giles Clarke opened the new Somerset Stand.

Also present were three of the four men with entrances named after them – Brian Rose, Brian Langford and Vic Marks. The late Peter Denning was represented by his wife and two daughters.