THERE was just time for Michael Gough to reach his highest championship score for Durham at Gloucester yesterday before rain arrived at 3.50.

Unlike Dr Foster, who went to Gloucester in a shower of rain, Durham found themselves caught up in a downpour and there was no further play.

Gough, whose previous best was 67 at Canterbury in May, 1999, was on 73 not out when the rain intervened with Durham on 211 for four in reply to 417.

In bright sunshine Simon Brown took the last three Gloucestershire wickets in the morning to finish with six for 70, his 36th five-wicket haul for Durham.

As Brown had stiffened up, Durham had declined to take the new ball on the first evening in the hope that he would be fit to make best use of it yesterday and he took three for 16 in 5.4 overs, while Stephen Harmison took none for 38 at the other end.

"I hurt my back during fielding practice on Wednesday," said Brown. "I stiffened up after bowling, but it was nothing serious.

"The new ball has swung both days, which it didn't do at Derby last week. But the wicket here is slow and the batsmen can just play the ball off the pitch. At least there's a decent grass covering, which helps the ball to stay in good condition."

In fairness to Harmison, he had Martyn Ball dropped at fine leg by Brown, who got both hands to the ball at head height, only to tip it over for six.

Ball cut two fours in the same over before Harmison bowled a bouncer which brought another six off a skied hook. That took Ball to his 50 off 66 balls and he pulled Harmison for two more fours before being left stranded on 60 when Brown bowled James Averis third ball.

He also had left-hander Mike Cawdron out for a duck, caught at square leg after making the vital breakthrough when Jack Russell was lbw for 48.

Despite the early loss of skipper Jon Lewis, who followed an Averis out-swinger and nicked it to Russell, the sun continued to shine for Durham during a second wicket stand of 124.

They then lost three wickets for 39 runs with Nicky Peng being controversially run out at the non-striker's end after racing to 21.

A Gough drive was deflected into the stumps and umpire John Hampshire checked with the bowler, Mark Hardinges, that he had touched the ball before raising his finger, much to Peng's astonishment.

Gloucestershire at this stage were in danger of being penalised for over-zealous appealing, with Russell clearly transgressing when he leapt from behind the stumps to congratulate silly mid-off on a catch when the ball had come off Gough's pad.

Hampshire's former Yorkshire teammate Barrie Leadbeater seemed to find it amusing when, under new guidelines, he is supposed to take a harsher line.

Gough's flowing off drives were the hallmark of his innings and against an attack lacking Jon Lewis, Mike Smith and Ian Harvey there was every prospect of Durham topping the home total as they raced along at four and a half an over.

As he has done several times, Martin Love slipped into overdrive straight after lunch, twice hitting Averis for two fours in an over to leave Gough behind and reach 50 off 66 balls with ten boundaries.

Gough swiftly followed him, an uppish square drive off Averis taking him to his first championship half-century for two years. He reached the target off 91 balls.

It was a big surprise when Love fell for 70, pushing firmly forward at a ball from Mark Alleyne and edging it to Russell. Martin Speight lasted two balls, scoring a single then turning off-spinner Ball straight to short leg. He was undone by bounce and Ball also found some turn during an impressive spell which kept the shackles on Gough. The batsman applied himself diligently and with Danny Law twice cracking the ball to the cover boundary there was still every prospect of a big total.

But with more rain forecast it is difficult to see how Durham can win this game now.