It worked! 16.5 overs remaining in the day when the players get back out there.

for Brydon Carsepublished at 17:25 British Summer Time 27 April 2023

17:25 BST 27 April 2023

Durham 346-7 v Derbys

A very smart half-century for Brydon Carse.

He's continued the theme of the day and scored at a good lick.

His fifty in 66 balls with six fours.

A partnership of 50 now as well with Paul Coughlin.

New ball takenpublished at 17:19 British Summer Time 27 April 2023

17:19 BST 27 April 2023

Durham 340-7 v Derbys

A very rare quiet period at Chester-le-Street.

Derbyshire have managed to get through four straight overs without conceding a boundary.

And they now have a new ball to try and finish the innings off.

Still 16 overs remain in the day and the light is holding for now.

Do whatever dance you feel the need to do. We need more live cricket. No offence to Durham and Derbyshire, of course.

Durham keep coming.

Brydon Carse cracks a drive past extra-cover for four.

And then Paul Couglin shuffles across his stumps to smash Luis Reece over mid-on for another!

Matt Lamb's leg spin is given a go to try and get Derbyshire to the second new ball but a horrible full toss is whacked wide of midwicket for four more.

And off they come at Edgbaston.

Umpires Peter Hartley and Nigel Llong had been already been consulting about the poor light before Chris Woakes got out - and again after. And again after Hasan Ali;s first-baller.

But when they finally got to the end of that eventful Jordan Clark over, one further consultation was enough.

The Edgbaston floodlights were already on, the light meters now say the natural light has dipped below the acceptable level - and that is most likely now it for the day in Birmingham.

We shall let you know if and when it is called off for the day.

It needs an old head in these circumstances.

Chris Rushworth digs out the hat-trick ball, then gets off the mark with a single.

I don't wish to alarm anyone, but the covers are seemingly coming off at Grace Road. The rain has eased and the sky has lightened and word on the street suggests we might be getting some more play in under an hour, should the weather hold.

up for Durhampublished at 16:45 British Summer Time 27 April 2023

16:45 BST 27 April 2023

Durham 304-7 v Derbys

A second batting point for Durham.

Luis Reece overpitches and Paul Coughlin plays a beautiful flowing drive past mid-off.

Chris Woakes cracks Tom Lawes for six - his first for Warwickshire in the Championship in five years - to move to 22 from 18 balls.

Woakes and Dan Mousley (53) have combined to add 40 precious runs for this wicket. The ball is getting older and the conditions might be less favourable for the bowlers too.

First over after tea and Durham back on it.

Ben Aitchinson overpitches and Brydon Carse whacks it through cover for four.

Can Derbyshire find some control in this final session.

It's probably only wickets that will bring it because the intent from Durham pretty much all day has been clear.

What a shame.

The poor weather, and prospect of a lot more of it, has brought an end to the day's play. Middlesex won the toss and made the most of some helpful conditions and produced some fine bowling to reduce the visitors to 113-6 in the 47 overs which were possible.

Can they pick up where they left off tomorrow? The forecast is significantly better for the next three days.

Rain stops playpublished at 16:22 British Summer Time 27 April 2023

16:22 BST 27 April 2023

#bbccricket

It probably comes as little surprise that some games will not be returning from the tea interval. At least not yet. Play is expected to resume at CLS and Edgbaston any minute but Lord's paints a pretty grim picture and there will also be a delay at Grace Road while it is already stumps at Bristol.

Division One:

Lord's: Kent 113-6 (47 overs) v Middlesex

Edgbaston: Warwickshire 112-6 (41.3 overs) v Surrey

Division Two:

Chester-le-Street: Durham 99-3 (29 overs) v Derbyshire

Bristol: Sussex 47-1 (16 overs) v Gloucestershire (no play since lunch)

Leicester: Leicestershire 123-2 (32 overs) v Glamorgan

Nick Webb
BBC Radio Wales

Seamer Timm van der Gugten has kept Glamorgan in the game at Leicester, despite a century stand from Lewis Hill and Colin Ackermann building a solid base for the Foxes.Van der Gugten repeated his double strike of the morning session as he removed Ackermann, given lbw for 45, and Hill, caught behind for 53, in successive overs.Australian international Michael Neser, who’d been expensive early on, then produced a remarkable inswinger to bowl Wiaan Mulder for nine, playing no shot.With the ball swinging under the floodlights, Peter Handscomb was then almost dismissed without a shot by even greater movement from a Jamie McIlroy delivery.But Handscomb and Rehan Ahmed added 43 to halt the slide before the drizzle grew heavier and forced an early tea.

Martin Emmerson
BBC Radio Newcastle

Ollie Robinson has played the perfect innings here, rescuing Durham from a bit of a fix earlier in the day as well.

They were 89-3 when he came in and shortly after that 126-4, just after lunch. That's when Robinson and Graham Clark got together, putting on 106 for the fifth wicket.

The partnership ended when Clark pulled Sam Conners to Zak Chappell at deep midwicket on 39. But shortly after that Robinson reached his century. It is his fifth in FC cricket and first for Durham. It came in 93 balls and was faultless. I can't recall a single moment of jeopardy.

The hundred came up in the same over Durham grabbed their first batting point at 250-5 in the 58th over.