MARCUS Trescothick last night made the highest individual

score in a 40-over match as Somerset defied a late Durham

fightback to secure an 18-run victory in their floodlit Pro40

game.

After amassing 286 for eight, it looked like being a much

easier win for Somerset until Steve Harmison joined Liam

Plunkett with Durham on 187 for nine in the 30th over.

But Plunkett hit three huge sixes in a 27-ball half-century

and was on 72 when he was run out with 11 balls left.

Harmison, on 25, drove fiercely back to the bowler, Alfonso

Thomas, who did well to gather and complete the run out of the

non-striker.

Trescothick's 124 off 97 balls beat the 115 made by Phil

Simmons for Leicestershire in 1996, and the innings was in only

the 32nd over when the former England opener was run out.

After their Twenty20 Cup quarter-final victory against

Glamorgan on Tuesday evening, Durham's hopes of challenging

Somerset's total seemed to virtually vanish in the first three

overs of their reply.

Left-armer Charl Willoughby removed Michael Di Venuto, Paul

Collingwood and Shivnarine Chanderpaul to reduce the hosts to

16 for three. Collingwood drove to mid-off and Chanderpaul

departed first ball, trying to run it to third man and getting

a bottom edge onto his leg stump.

After Sunderland-born Mark Turner chipped in with two

wickets, Willoughby took a fourth to make it 66 for six before

Durham skipper Dale Benkenstein and Gareth Breese put on 87.

When Benkenstein pulled Peter Trego for six to reach 50 off 41

balls there was still hope, but Thomas and Omari Banks

prevented the necessary acceleration.

Benkenstein fell for 58 when he lifted Banks straight to

Arul Suppiah on the mid-wicket boundary, and Thomas had Breese

lbw for 34.

The only Durham bowler to make any impression on the

excellent pitch was Collingwood, with three for 52.

His first victim was Justin Langer, who shared a

second-wicket stand of 175 in 24 overs with Trescothick before

holing out at deep mid-wicket after making 63 off 65 balls.

After reaching his century off 73 balls, Trescothick was

partially held in check by Benkenstein bowling his own gentle

medium pace after realising neither pace nor spin was the

answer.

Off-spinner Breese conceded 46 off five overs, which

included the two sixes Trescothick hit in addition to his 16

fours. He was run out by a direct hit from Chanderpaul, coming

in from third man, after being sent back by Banks.

When the West Indian then ran himself out in the next over

it caused Somerset to stumble when they had been on course to

score at least 20 more than their final total.

ST JUST won the Edwards Cup at St Austell last night for the

sixth time, winning by seven wickets with nine balls to spare.

Needing 153, man of the match David Roberts carried his bat

making 74 not out, which included a six and 12 fours off 45

balls.

Gary Thomas made 21 adding 63 for the second wicket after

Neil Curnow went for a quickfire 21.

St Austell's 152 for eight saw Taylor Williams make 32 with

Matt Rowe making 28 and Brayden Hill (26). Spinner Mark George

took four for 21.

St Just now go forward as the Cornwall Premier League

representative to the South & West 20/20 Premier Leagues

play-offs, which will provide a representative to the televised

National Finals day at Cardiff at the end of September.