DURHAM will be praying that Worcestershire beat Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge in tonight's totesport League match, otherwise the soggy end of season will become even more of a damp squib.

If Nottinghamshire win then beat Scotland at home tomorrow they will become clear favourites for the third promotion spot as they have a game in hand.

They are one of four counties currently on 36 points challenging for the third spot, with Durham trailing third-placed Sussex, Sunday's visitors to Riverside, only on run rate.

Durham then finish their programme at Scarborough on Sunday week against Yorkshire, who are also on 36 points with two games left. Their other match is at Derby this Sunday.

Two wins would secure promotion for Durham were it not for the renewed threat from Nottinghamshire, who they beat at Cleethorpes last month.

The last match in the programme is Somerset v Nottinghamshire at Taunton on Wednesday, September 8.

Durham would like to have Australian paceman Shaun Tait firing on all cylinders for their two totesport games, but the tally of washed-out championship days since his arrival rose to five out of nine yesterday.

They now have to decide whether to give him the opportunity to sort out his run-up problems during whatever play is possible over the next three days. But to take him into a one-day match on the evidence so far would be catastrophic.

Any hope of play on the first day of the match against Hampshire at Riverside was abandoned shortly after 1pm yesterday.

With the ground saturated and the weather so unsettled, there are fears of a repeat of the four-day washout against the same opponents at Riverside on July 2-5, 1997.

l Any hope Durham had of renewing their interest in Bedale-raised Paul Grayson has been scuppered by Essex awarding him a benefit next season.

Coach Martyn Moxon has spoken to his former Yorkshire teammate in the past about the possibility of returning to the North-East.

But the 33-year-old Essex vice-captain will be hoping to reap the financial rewards from his tenth season with the county next year.

The fact that they have taken on Andy Flower's brother Grant as a "Kolpak" signing puts pressure on the other Essex batsmen. But Grayson might be called upon to open the innings in the early part of the season, when England Under 19 player Alistair Cook will be at Durham University.

* Worcestershire snatched a one-run win against Scottish Saltires at New Road yesterday to move six points clear in second place in the totesport League division two with two games left.

The hosts were dismissed for 131, and when Ryan Watson replied with 44 from 55 balls, the Scots seemed to be cruising home.