Martin Emmerson
BBC Radio Newcastle

Image source, BBC Sport

The weather forecast has completely changed from the one forecast yesterday. It's a nice, sunny morning in Worcester and quite warm.

I wonder if that will improve batting opportunities today? We have already had 14 wickets in this game and only 217 runs.

Yesterday the ball was nipping about, but the wicket was slow and the outfield snail pace. The highest total so far is the 42 from Pears debutant Henry Nicholls.

From what we've seen so far, if anyone manages to reach 50 here they will have done very well.

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Loan signing Jake Ball takes 5-47 as Durham bowl out Worcestershire for 162 but then struggle to 55-4 by the close in County Championship Division One.

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Martin Emmerson
BBC Radio Newcastle

Jake Ball, who has joined Durham as an emergency loan signing from Somerset, has taken a five for on his debut. It's his eighth in first-class cricket.

He took the first three wickets to fall this morning and then took the final two shortly after tea. He's finished with figures of 5-47 in 16.2 overs. Fellow debutant, South African Codi Yusuf, also took 2-36 as Durham made light work of the Worcestershire order.

They had maximum bowling points in the bag after 66.2 overs. But on a slow track it's been difficult for the batsmen to time the ball and get it away. The outfield is also dead slow, so Durham may well have their work cut out with the bat.

There are 25 overs to go this afternoon - if the light holds! It's gloomy at New Road.

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Martin Emmerson
BBC Radio Newcastle

Durham gave debuts to three bowlers today - Jake Ball, Codi Yusuf and Jack Blatherwick. And so far two of them have been in the wickets.

Ball took all three to fall this morning, before South African Yusuf bagged two this afternoon. He got New Zealand debutant Henry Nicholls LBW for 42 in the 43rd over. The ball shot through low and got him around about the lower shin.

Nicholls had been battling away nicely on a tough batting track and faced 115 balls before his innings ended. A few minutes later Matthew Waite edged Yusuf to Blatherwick in the gully and departed for eight.

Runs are hard to come by. The outfield is very slow and there haven't been many boundaries.

In normal circumstances this total may be worth at least another 30 runs more than it currently is.

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Martin Emmerson
BBC Radio Newcastle

This was a good toss to win and Durham's new loanee Jake Ball is certainly enjoying the best of the conditions at New Road.

He's taken both wickets to fall so far. Gareth Roderick had a life on four when he was dropped at first slip by Will Rhodes. It was a straightforward chance, but two delieveries later he edged a wide one to the keeper.

Ball then got an inside edge off Jake Libby's bat and dismissed him at the end of the 10th over for nine. Ollie Robinson took both catches.

It's a bit overcast and cool at the moment and they are playing on a new field after the groundstaff had to re-plant it following five winter floods.

Newcastle manager Eddie Howe thanks club doctor Paul Catterson for acting quickly when he was taken ill with pneumonia two weeks ago.