DURHAM will move into second place in the LV County Championship by wrapping up their third win at Worcester today.

They might even be top if Lancashire are denied by Yorkshire, or the weather, but on current form Durham look the most likely challengers to the Red Rose men, who visit Chester-le-Street for a four-day match starting next Sunday.

Inbetween Durham have to go to Edgbaston to face a depleted Warwickshire side, who surprisingly inflicted a second successive defeat on champions Nottinghamshire yesterday. Title favourites Somerset are also heading for defeat at Hove.

Worcestershire followed on 370 behind and reached 271 for five in their second innings, with Adrian Shankar unlikely to bat because of a knee injury.

Durham were denied a three-day win by Gareth Andrew and Ben Scott, the wicketkeeper on loan from Middlesex, sharing an unbroken stand of 55.

There was a brief spell in mid-afternoon when Worcestershire's two most talented batsmen gave their fans something to cheer in this one-sided contest. For the more senior ones it might have evoked memories of Tom Graveney and Basil D'Oliveira as Vikram Solanki and Moeen Ali played some glorious strokes.

They put on 64 in 13 overs, but after bowling only three overs in the innings Steve Harmison returned after tea and quickly removed Solanki for 58.

The former England one-day player shaped to drive through the covers and got an inside edge into his stumps, then Alexei Kervezee did exactly the same. He had cracked the previous ball to the cover boundary, but paid for getting carried away when he should have knuckled down.

Only the openers showed much inclination to dig in, but Ian Blackwell removed both. With the score on 50 James Cameron edged a drive to slip, where Michael Di Venuto knocked the ball up before diving to cling on as it fell behind him.

Matthew Pardoe might have been run out for 25 when Solanki called him for a very risky single to cover to get off the mark. Will Smith did everything right but Pardoe dived into the crease and was given not out by Michael Gough.

The 20-year-old left-hander eventually fell for 38 to a very good right-handed catch by Smith at short leg.

Solanki was missed by Di Venuto at second slip off Callum Thorp on 12 but followed up with one of several wristy cuts, which flew to the boundary.

His classy strokes were matched by those of the left-handed Ali, who at 23 feels he has grown up. His beard resembles that of W G Grace, but not his weight of runs.

The Birmingham-born former England Under-19 batsman has always looked an elegant player but has tended to get out too easily. Now he sees himself as a senior batsman in this young side and cricket lovers will hope that they can develop into a team to match their surroundings.

There are plenty of Durham fans who would welcome a trip to New Road every season.

There was an hour of the third day left when Ali followed two lovely back-foot boundaries off Ben Stokes, one on either side of the wicket, by edging the same bowler to Mustard. He was out for 63 and with him went Worcestershire's hopes of avoiding an innings defeat.

Even before a ball was bowled yesterday they lost overnight batsman Shankar, a former Lancashire second X1 player who was signed only last week.

He had to be stretchered back to the pavilion when a knee gave way during fielding practice and didn't bat as Worcestershire were dismissed for 217.

Harmison took the first wicket of the day to finish with four for 67 from 18 overs. He got rid of the left-handed Andrew through the second leg-side catch of the innings by Mustard.

Scott and Damien Wright then put on 51 in seven overs. But it couldn't last and Wright sliced a drive at Ruel Brathwaite low to gully, where Thorp held an excellent catch.

In the next over Scott fell for 37 when he tried to cut Stokes and got a bottom edge into his stumps. Finally, Richard Jones skied Scott Borthwick to Mustard and Worcestershire were all out for 217.

It was the third time in six games this season that Durham have had the opportunity to enforce the follow-on and the first time they have done so.

In the first match at the Rose Bowl it didn't work as Hampshire scored 345 for five in 113 overs in their second innings on a very flat pitch, but Yorkshire's second innings improvement at Headingley was not enough to save them and the same will surely apply to Worcestershire.

n Durham face holders Warwickshire in the CB 40 League at Edgbaston tomorrow and could be without one-day skipper Dale Benkenstein. He hasn't fielded in either innings at Worcester and was reported to be suffering from a viral infection. As he missed last Monday's win in Edinburgh with a sore knee, Durham are likely to field the side which beat Scotland.