Recently by Brian Halford

Good morning ladies and gentlemen.

Sadly, this blog must now fall dormant for a while due to circumstances entirely beyond my control. Hopefully it will resume at some point.

Meanwhile, as the inestimable Jimmy Young would say: "Ta-ta for now..."

CLOSE: Warwickshire 52 for 4 (31 overs): Best 1, Clarke 0.

Just 16 runs ahead, Warwickshire have some serious work to do after Sunderland leg-spinner Scott Borthwick hit them with a burst of three for five in 14 balls.

Porterfield, 9, could feel aggrieved at his lbw decision, well-forward, but Mohammad Yousuf played a bizarre cameo. He tried a premeditated lap-shot to his first ball and was lucky to get away with it then did exactly the same to his fourth and didn't get away with it. Lbw - and quite an undistinguished effort.

Westwood, having battled through for 27 in nearly two hours - and it was a battle for him - leaned forward and bat-padded to short-leg.

Best, sent in as nightwatchman with more than six overs left in the day, showed good temperament.

The sprinklers are now on and some young ladies are doing fielding drills in the evening sunshine.

Warwickshire 22 for 1 (9 overs): Westwood 10, Porterfield 3.

Chopra, on 8, gets a beauty from Thorp and edges to Richardson.

He scored 502 runs in April.

Tea: Durham 465 all out. Braithwaite 2 not out.

A bit of luck for the Bears. Thorpe plays Miller to mid-off and sets off for a single in which Blackwell is not at all interested. With both batsmen at the non-striker's end, Troughton's throw from mid-off is terrible and goes to Chopra at first slip. Blackwell thinks there might be a run there now after all and sets off but Chopra throws down the stumps. Blackwell - 125, 172 balls, 17 fours, 2 sixes - departs in high dudgeon.

Thorpe swung the penultimate ball before tea, from Best, for six and was bowled by the next.

Best 13-1-69-2.

Duham lead by 36.

Durham 442 for 8 (121 overs). Blackwell 122, Thorp 0.

A first championship wicket for Best and a good one, flighting the ball nicely past Borthwick, on 18, for Ambrose to complete the stumping.

Best settling. Bowled a maiden to Blackwell which is no mean feat.

"Lovely flight and loop," says R.Wilford.

Durham 424 for 7 (114 overs). Blackwell 110, Borthwick 14.

It has been an excellent innings by Blackwell though his 100th run almost brought his downfall. Having run a single to move to 99 he was late starting on an overthrow called for by Borthwick and was only just home, or perhaps not, when Miller's throw from third man hit the stumps.

Best is on again now. A wicket would be a big fillip for the debutant though he can't play against Lancashire next week anyway because he has exams.

So do Warwickshire go in against Lancashire with Metters or Holmes or without a spinner?

I suggested to A.Giles esq. that he could come out of retirement. It isn't going to happen.

Durham 392 for 7 (106 overs). Blackwell 92, Borthwick 0.

Benkenstein and Blackwell added 161 in 44 overs before Rankin, in a very fast over from the Lumley Castle End, knocked out the off-stump of Benkenstein for 75, and then had Richardson plum lbw for 0.

After all the fascinating fluctuations it looks like the first innings will end about level.

Radio WM reporter Richard Wilford has just popped in to speculate about the loud gurgling sound in the back of the box.

LUNCH: Durham 341 for 5 (95 overs). Benkenstein 56, Blackwell 65.

111 without loss in the session. Just one very difficult chance, to Clarke in the slips off Woakes when Benkenstein had 35.

Intriguing game. Long periods of batting ascendancy then clatters of wickets. If either side suffers another clatter they could be in trouble. If neither does, a draw beckons.

100 years ago this week, Michael Almond appeared before Durham magistrates charged with stealing a corduroy suit from William Bracegirdle.

Durham 287 for 5 (84 overs). Benkenstein 33, Blackwell 40.

Benkenstein sheet anchor. Blackwell looking dangerous. After taking every care early on, he slog-swept Best for six and has climbed into the new ball with a couple of boundaries off Rankin.

Tough baptism for Best on a wicket that offers no turn but he was accurate and bowled with a nice loop. 5-0-27-0.

Benkenstein has just cover-driven Woakes for four but was then fortunate not to inside-edge on to his stumps.

Durham 239 for 5 (75 overs). Benkenstein 21, Blackwell 7.

Blackwell has just scored a single - his first run in 40 minutes this morning. Nine runs from 12 overs today.

Best has come on for a couple of overs before the new ball.

At the celebratory banquet to celebrate Warwickshire's championship triumph in 1911, hundreds of guests drank a toast to "The Press".

I don't remember such a toast being proposed in 2004.