Martin Emmerson
BBC Radio Newcastle

The groundstaff have done a great job mopping up after the thunderstorm which hit Chelmsford just before 3pm.

Play is set to resume at 4.46pm and we have a minimum of 9.5 overs to go. Durham are ahead by 19 runs and there would need to be a change of innings if Essex are win.

They obviously need three quick wickets, but if Durham get to within three overs of the end of the game it's job done.

They could end being nine down and lose that final wicket in that third last over, but they would have saved the game because there would be no time for a re-start.

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Martin Emmerson
BBC Radio Newcastle

The end of the world has arrived in Chelmsford. We have torrential rain, thunder and lightning and it's almost dark.

The radar suggested a really big storm was heading our way and would not pass for about two hours.

Essex' hopes of a win are being thwarted by rain and Raine. Ben Raine and Matty Potts both have 25 runs and have added 47 to the Durham total so far. They have also staved off an innings defeat.

At 143-7 Durham lead by 19 runs. While Essex will be hoping to get back on the field later, the weather may actually end their hopes of victory.

For Durham, it would stave off an embarrassing defeat in a game where they had been 189-1 on day one.

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Martin Emmerson
BBC Radio Newcastle

Colin Ackermann's time in the middle was rather brief.

He was on five runs when he decided to cut a delivery from Simon Harmer, but half way through the shot he seemed to change his mind and ended up edging to Dean Elgar at first slip.

It was not the start Durham wanted after lunch and I am not sure they will be here come tea either - unless it rains.

They are also not making any progress in terms of runs, so they remain nearly 50 behind. Tea is at 3.10pm and that seems a long way off from here.

Martin Emmerson
BBC Radio Newcastle

I couldn't see any point in Essex continuing with their first innings today, given so much time was lost in this game to the weather yesterday.

However, the talk around the ground was about how they would bat on. Yet 15 minutes before the start of day four the declaration was announced, with the hosts 124 ahead at 457-8.

The bowling conditions were also good. It's cold, overcast and windy. Very autumnal.

It was a good decision because in no time they had both openers gone. Alex Lees fell for five and Emilio Gay for 13, both LBW to Jamie Porter in consecutive overs from The Gooch End.

Ben McKinney and David Bedingham restored a bit of calm before McKinney left a ball from Simon Harmer and was bowled on 11. Durham trail by 79 runs.

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