THIS is the final season of three up, three down, and the least Durham can expect at the moment is to finish third in both the four-day and one-day tables.

They are still top in the championship, but Lancashire have gained two more batting points than Durham in the current games to narrow the gap to four and they have a game in hand.

Yorkshire, sitting out the current round, were 13.5 points behind Durham with a game in hand at the start of the week and there are 14 for a win, plus bonus points.

While Durham want to finish top, in terms of securing promotion they will have no need to develop the jitters unless fourth-placed Essex beat Lancashire at Chelmsford next week.

Essex, currently inactive, were 19 points behind Durham at the start of the week, when both teams had two games left. Durham have picked up four bonus points against Derbyshire to stretch the gap to 23, but if they fail to pick up any more points today then Essex take the maximum of 22 against Lancashire it will be neck-and-neck.

Alternatively, if Essex lose, Durham would need only four or five bonus points from their final match at home to Northants in two weeks to clinch promotion.

One slight worry for Durham is that they sit out the final programme on September 21, when Essex visit Worcester, Yorkshire are at Northampton and Lancashire entertain Leicestershire.

In the one-day league Durham are second, but Warwickshire could overhaul them by winning their game in hand and the teams meet at Edgbaston in the final match on September 25.

Even so, Durham should still finish third if they win their home games against Kent on Sunday and Somerset two weeks later.