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..."

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.

He scored 502 runs in April.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Woakes and Miller bowling accurately. Batsmen very cautious, aware that there is a bit of a tail to follow. Woakes had a decent lbw shout on Benkenstein. It was going down leg side but encouraging that the batsman was beaten all ends up.

Good batting track though. Wicket-taking hard work.

Had trouble getting out of multistorey car park this morning. Parked on Level Two. In search of exit, ended up on Level Four. Took six minutes to get out. Almost hit and seriously injured very nice lady. Everyone in Durham seems very nice.

Hope I'm not tempting fate there and will meet homicidal maniac during the luncheon interval.

Ant Botha's knee injury will sideline him for four to six weeks; a blow but not as bad as it might have been.

I came from a very poor family. One Christmas things were so tight that mum and dad gave me an empty box and told me it was an action-man deserter.

Two big blows landed by Warwickshire.

A straight one from Miller keeps a bit low and Stokes falls lbw for 5.

Then Di Venuto edges the impressive Clarke to Ambrose and is out for 113. Di Venuto had a runner from 95 onwards after suffering a groin injury so will bat in discomfort second time round.

The value of that partnership between Woakes and Rankin can hardly be over-stated.

Woakes nips one back at Muchall who is adjudged lbw for 7.

Woakes has again risen to the challenge but Warwickshire must be wary of overbowling him. Young and very fit though he undoubtedly is, the higher the workload the higher the chance of a breakdown and he has had a very busy couple of years when you throw in winter trips to the USA for conditioning and tours with England Lions and England.

Strange innings from Di Venuto. Some blistering strokes but a lot of quite scratchy ones. Rankin batted better.

Just two overs from Best so far. The lack of an experienced spinner means Warwickshire are an important dimension down here. Food for thought for Ashley Giles as he ponders his overseas-player options for later in the season.

Perseverance pays off for Woakes who draws Smith, on 66, into a drive and Clarke takes the catch at second slip to end an opening partnership of 164 in 40 overs.