With the teams from third to seventh in the Premier League seperated by just two points the race to secure Champions League football next season is intensifying.

Durham reduce Yorkshire to 132-4 at close of play at the Riverside, a lead of only 12 runs with six wickets remaining.

Martin Emmerson
BBC Radio Newcastle

At the start of Yorkshire's second innings, Adam Lyth needed another 14 runs to reach 15,000 in First Class cricket and he got there with a four in the eighth over.

He and Finlay Bean have made a steady start in the afternoon sunshine of Chester-le-Street, but there's still a lot of work to do for Yorkshire to get back into this game.

Having said that, things were looking bleak this morning when Alex Lees and Emilio Gay put together a record second-wicket stand. But the new ball seemed to change things, with seven wickets falling in 23 overs after its introduction.

Certainly Durham's first innings lead of 120 runs was not as big as many would have expected in the first hour of the day.

The pink flare was fired from a boat on the Tyne to reveal the gender of an expectant couple's baby.

Martin Emmerson
BBC Radio Newcastle

Batting suddenly looks all the more difficult since Yorkshire introduced the new ball 10 overs ago.

It produced its first wicket three and a half overs in as Ollie Robinson, who has been struggling for form for a few months, fell lbw to Jack White for 16.

Emilio Gay was then dropped at mid-wicket on 150, by Jordan Thompson, off the bowling of George Hill. But the bowler got him three deliveries later as the ball clattered into his off stump with the batsman on 152.

And moments ago Will Rhodes fell lbw for 13 to Ben Sears, to continue his poor run of form at the start of the season.

Martin Emmerson
BBC Radio Newcastle

Alex Lees and Emilio Gay have broken Durham's record for a second-wicket stand in first-class cricket.

Moments after Lees hit Matthew Revis' first ball of the day for six, he was caught by Ben Sears at long leg, following a top edge off the third ball of the over.

It ended a stand with Gay of 279, which is five more than the partnership achieved by Mark Stoneman and Scott Borthwick, in 2014 against Middlesex.

Revis then got Colin Ackermann for an eight-ball duck in his next over. He was caught behind by Jonny Bairstow.

Gay has 120 and Durham now trail Yorkshire by four runs.

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Martin Emmerson
BBC Radio Newcastle

We're set for a prompt start today but the cloud cover remains a concern. We've already lost in the region of 40 overs during this game to bad light.

There are sunny spells forecast for later, but I wouldn't be surprised to see the lights on again at some point.

For now though, it's about Durham gaining as many batting points as they can. And shortly Alex Lees will resume his first innings on 148 and Emilio Gay on 105. Their partnership is worth 242.

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