ON an otherwise frustrating return to soggy Stockton, Durham did at least manage to see off Graeme Hick yesterday.

Two years ago the former England batsman thrashed 200 at Riverside and last season he amassed 315 not out against Durham at Worcester.

It all looked a little too easy for the Durham bully yesterday as he sped to 30 off 36 balls with four fours and a six, but then he pushed forward and edged to a grateful Nicky Phillips at second slip.

But it was a rare success for Durham on a day reduced to 44 overs by rain, with Worcestershire reaching 156 for three after winning the toss.

Rain has often blighted Durham's visits to the Grangefield Road ground, where the hive of busy workers and welcoming catering staff deserved better than this stop-start re-introduction to first-class cricket.

Not that the umpires helped as the first hint of a shower had them scurrying off. Perhaps they had been listening to alarmist tales about the proximity of ICI causing acid rain.

Then after a 5pm inspection in bright sunshine, and with the players indulging their passion for football in the outfield, it was announced that the ground was still too wet and the umpires would look again at 5.30.

This amounted to little more than a cursory glance before ruling out further play, thereby hammering another nail in the coffin of outgrounds.

With Martin Love arriving on Sunday, this is the final match for his replacement, Javagal Srinath, who is still feeling the cold.

It may well be the last match of a distinguished career as Srinath is apparently contemplating retirement and he ambled to the crease yesterday like a man struggling for motivation.

He was still sufficiently animated, however, to make several impassioned appeals for lbw, even on one occasion when the ball had hit the bat. It always seemed likely that he would take a wicket, but none was forthcoming, whereas Danny Law did not look like troubling anyone yet snared the great Hick.

After Srinath and Stephen Harmison, who opened with four maidens, had restricted Worcestershire to 25 in 15 overs, the introduction of Law and Vince Wells removed the shackles.

Hick pulled Law's first ball for six and the second for four in an over which cost 16, but as when Andrew Flintoff attacked him recently, Law held his nerve and had his revenge.

Hick came in when the opening pair were parted in the 12th over by a direct hit from cover at the non-striker's end by Gary Pratt.

His victims from similar swoops were well into the teens last season, but the grapevine had clearly by-passed Anurag Singh as he pushed into the covers and ran.

Former Essex batsman Stephen Peters had made one at the time, but he also prospered against the change bowlers and had reached 32 out of 94 when the first shower prompted an early lunch at 1pm.

On the resumption Peters progressed to 62, which included ten fours, before he fell to the first ball of Harmison's third spell.

The batsman appeared to be aiming towards square leg but Harmison appeared in no doubt he was lbw and umpire Alan Jones agreed.

Visiting captain Ben Smith had moved comfortably to 39, taking advantage of the short boundaries to hit off-spinner Nicky Phillips for a six in each of his first two overs.

One was chipped to the leg side, the other was driven straight and Smith also stroked six fours.

But Vikram Solanki had been at the crease only one over when the North York Moors disappeared from view and an hour's rain was sufficient to prevent further play.

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