Durham and Somerset endured a day of frustration with no play possible at the start of the their Championship fixture at the Riverside.

But the thoughts of Durham officials continued to be occupied by their Twenty20 Cup situation.

They need to find a date for a quarter-final against reinstated Notts.

Durham should have played Yorkshire on Tuesday but the game was called off because the Tykes fielded an ineligible player during the group stage.

The delays means Durham will be without South Africans Shaun Pollock and Albie Morkel for the game against Notts, although there is consolation in that West Indies batsman Shiv Chanderpaul will arrive this weekend.

The most likely date for the quarter-final would be 20 July, just six days before finals day at the Rose Bowl when the winners would take on Middlesex.

The situation is further complicated, however, by Yorkshire's decision to apeal against the decision to exclude them from the rest of the competition.

Durham believe that if Yorkshire are expelled, they should be given a bye through to finals day.

"I'm disappointed about the whole affair," said Durham chief executive David Harker.

"We have already put the case that we are being unduly punished for something that had nothing to do with us."