Durham batsman Michael Di Venuto spent nearly three-and-a-half hours facing Kookaburra's latest pink ball and then predicted it would need to be tweaked before being ready for Test cricket.

Di Venuto and fellow opener Kyle Coetzer both scored centuries on day one of the champion county's traditional season-opening fixture against MCC, an occasion which is being used as a high-profile trial for the pink ball in floodlit conditions.

MCC and the International Cricket Council, not to mention a host of national cricket boards facing dwindling attendances, hope the combination will hasten the era of day-night Test matches.

Di Venuto, whose 131 set Durham on the way to a commanding score of 329 for three at the stumps, believes that could be a possibility, but only if the visibility of the seam improves.

"It was pretty easy to pick the ball up, especially at the start when it was really good," said the veteran Australian, who was out before the night skies descended at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium.

"My only concern with the pink ball is the seam. The seam uses a green stitching which is pretty hard to see and if it was darker it would be pretty good.

"No disrespect to the two spinners I faced here but with the really top-class international spinners, if you can't pick up the revolutions on the ball and which way the seam is going it's going to be pretty hard work.

"Sometimes you need a little help if you can't read it out of the hand. Someone like Muttiah Muralitharan, who can turn it both ways with a similar action, would be pretty hard to face with these current pink balls."

Asked whether he could envisage Test teams competing under similar playing conditions in the near future, Di Venuto added: "There's no reason why it can't work as long as the players go in with an open mind.

"Whatever colour ball you use at certain stages it will be harder to see and even the red ball is hard to see in some games.

"Whenever there's something different, like a pink ball, people are going to have complaints - it's the nature of the game - but we're using a pink ball so just get out and get on with it."

MCC captain Alex Gidman was happy with the performance of the ball, insisting it had no effect on his side's struggles in the field.

Gidman himself bowled two spells and received no negative feedback from any of his team-mates.

"We've no complaints whatsoever with regard to the ball," said the Gloucestershire all-rounder.

"It performed very well actually, in what was probably the harshest test it could have.

"It was pretty fierce for the ball because the wicket was quite abrasive but the shape was fine and the colour was fine for the fielders.

"It didn't do a lot after the first 10 overs but that was probably to be expected and I don't think any ball would have done a huge amount out there.

"In day-night cricket with a white ball you can sometimes struggle to pick it up but I honestly felt it was better than the white ball."

Scott Newman almost spilled a catch off Durham skipper Will Smith, but Gidman also absolved the ball of any blame in that incident.

He added: "It was just a straightforward fumble. He said he was going to walk straight off the pitch if he'd have dropped it."