Ian Blackwell chose the first day of the County Championship match at the Riverside to show Somerset what they have been missing and underline why he has been the signing of the summer.

The popular all-rounder left Taunton in the winter and has not looked back. He entered the Durham attack with the visitors building nicely at 141-3 and with the first ball of his ninth over Somerset were 174 all out.

In reply Durham closed on 110-3. Blackwell took his wickets without extracting much turn from the surface and this is certainly no terror track, as ECB pitch liaison officer Tony Pigott confirmed.

Instead it was a lame collapse - all ten wickets fell for 85 runs - from a Somerset side who, despite protestation to the contrary, clearly does not believe it can win the Championship.

Victory here and a draw or defeat for Nottinghamshire against Yorkshire at the weekend will retain Durham the title pennant.

Blackwell claimed the remarkable figures of five for seven with his wickets arriving in the space of 39 balls.

The former Derbyshire man has been energised by the winter arrival of twin girls and a fresh start. Predictions that his hefty frame would cause him to struggle in the latter half of the season have not come true.

He has taken 39 wickets at the hugely impressive average of 18.74 runs apiece. Yes, he backs up comfortably the best pace attack in the country but they haven't all been tail-enders.

Blackwell has also scored 855 runs at 50.29 and will no doubt relish his chance to give Durham a handy lead later today.

Should Somerset have tried harder to keep Blackwell this time last year? Maybe. In truth, his departure was already on the cards and no one can blame him for taking the chance to join the 2008 champions.

Somerset could have been in worse straits had Marcus Trescothick been caught at third slip off the very first ball of the match after Justin Langer had won the toss.

Graham Onions did get his man 21 overs later when the left-hander drove loosely and was taken in the gully for 31.

Arul Suppiah played beautifully, stroking nine fours in his 53, but he went an over later, caught behind off Liam Plunkett.

Langer was struck twice in what might be termed the lower abdomen before Onions swung one through his and scattered his stumps for 12.

Blackwell got one to bounce to James Hildreth (27), who was taken in the gully before Plunkett had Craig Kieswetter and Pete Trego - nought and four respectively - taken in almost identical fashion by Michael Di Venuto low down at second slip.

Zander de Bruyn was leg before wicket to a non-turning ball from left-arm spinner Blackwell for 16 and Ben Phillips went in similar style the very next delivery.

A modicum of turn from Blackwell saw Alfonso Thomas caught at first slip and it was all over when Charl Willoughby was  bowled by another delivery that did not spin, becoming the fourth visitor to fail to trouble the scorers.

Willoughby claimed Di Venuto (22) and Will Smith (0) in successive balls in the fifth over of the reply. Di Venuto nicked to first slip before Smith was the victim of a stunning, full-length diving catch by wicketkeeper Kieswetter.

For a full report pick up the next copy of the Western Daily Press or Bristol Evening Post.