DURHAM’S steam-rollering of woeful Warwickshire was held up by rain this morning, with only eight balls bowled.

It was enough for Ben Stokes to take the final wicket and finish with four for 48 without addition to the overnight total.

Play began an hour late and when Warwickshire were all out for 186, 416 behind, Durham stayed out in the middle while they waited for the home batsmen to re-emerge for the follow-on.

But while the bowlers limbered up more black clouds rolled over, out came the covers again and rain fell for 35 minutes, by which time it was too late to mop up in time for a resumption before lunch.

Blue sky followed and Durham will hope for a clear afternoon as they go for their second successive innings win.

The man out this morning was Andrew Miller, the replacement for Boyd Rankin, who was two not out overnight but had to fly off to Dublin to play for Ireland against Pakistan.

After a maiden from Scott Borthwick, Stokes first ball was almost a wide, but his second was closer to off stump, Miller fenced at it and edged to Phil Mustard. The wicketkeeper deflected it to his right, where the alert Michael Di Venuto dived forward from second slip to hold the catch.