THE Keith Barker Show was interrupted by several showers at Edgbaston yesterday, helping Mark Stoneman to lead Durham's rally in the final session and take the game against Warwickshire into the final day.

With Stoneman on 83, they will resume on 189 for four, still 76 adrift after following on 265 behind and cannot expect as much assistance from the weather today.

After scoring 102 not out and taking four for 54, Barker picked up the first three second innings wickets before the spell he casts over Durham was lifted.

Barker, whose second name is Hubert, like his godfather Clive Lloyd, says he would play for the West Indies if asked. He qualifies through his father, who played for British Guyana.

At 28, the Manchester-born all-rounder has made one England Lions appearance and does not appear to be on the selectors' radar, which is all the more astonishing considering that they have shown an interest in Boyd Rankin.

Watching the two yesterday was like comparing prime steak with scrag end as Rankin persistently bowled too short and was twice upper cut for six – by Paul Collingwood in making 68 in the first innings and Michael Richardson in his second innings 47.

Rankin did produce a good ball to have Calum MacLeod caught at second slip when trying to take evasive action late in the day.

The Scot had put on 64 with Stoneman, who atoned for his early surrender the previous day by knuckling down after going perilously close to being lbw to Barker's first ball of the innings.

He made only 19 off the first 65 balls he faced but then drove two fours through the covers off Rikki Clarke and was on 27 when the final shower cleared.

Another one looked to be on the way, but it passed by and in reasonably pleasant conditions in the final 90 minutes Stoneman was at his best.

He drove Barker to the cover boundary to reach one of his more reserved half-centuries off 98 balls then studiously kept out Jeetan Patel's off spin while seizing on anything loose from Rankin.

When Durham resumed on 50 for three after the 11.15 start MacLeod got an inside edge into his leg stump off the fourth ball of the day, from Richard Jones.

Richardson and Collingwood then put on 34 before Barker took three wickets in six balls. The first-ball exit of Phil Mustard raises further questions about how long he can survive in the four-day side.

He came under further pressure yesterday from Stuart Poynter, who made century in the Second X1 Championship match against Warwickshire at Riverside, as did Gordon Muchall.

Collingwood countered Barker by batting out of his crease with an open stance and survived two big appeals, for caught behind and lbw. He also went very close to chopping on against Jones on two.

Otherwise he was in no great difficulty and once eight wickets were down he began to give Rankin the charge.

Despite advancing to meet two short balls he was able to clobber them to the cover boundary and when the Irishman dropped even shorter he was smashed over point for six.

That took the Durham skipper to 50 off 61 balls and it was only because nine wickets were down that he got out trying to slog Rankin over mid-wicket.

The lower order had succumbed to balls of full length. The one which had Mustard lbw was almost in the blockhole, Paul Coughlin had his middle stump knocked out by Barker's swinging yorker, and John Hastings was lbw to Rikki Clarke.

With eight wickets down for 125 Collingwood went on the offensive and put on 58 in seven overs with Chris Rushworth, who was yorked for 15 straight after lunch by Jones. The ex-Worcestershire man was fast but erratic in finishing with four for 48.

When Durham followed on Keaton Jennings edged Barker's ninth ball to second slip. Scott Borthwick made 14 before the same ball which Stoneman had survived, pitching on leg stump and swinging towards middle, had him lbw.

As in the first innings, Richardson played well until Barker again forced him to play at a ball slanted across him, earning another slip catch.

After MacLeod's exit Collingwood was almost run out for four. The shy narrowly missed the stumps and went for four overthrows, helping him to reach 16 at the close.

*Durham are hoping to attract the Emirates ICG's record Twenty20 crowd for the visit of Yorkshire on Friday week after confirming the new floodlights will permit a 7pm start.

A disappointing crowd of fewer than 3,000 attended last Friday's opening NatWest T20 Blast match against Northamptonshire, when the installation of the lights had just begun.

The later start gives more people the chance to get there after work, including those who will travel up from Yorkshire.

The following Friday's match at Derby will also start at 7pm and it is expected that Ben Stokes and Mark Wood will be available as it falls between the second Test against New Zealand and the one-day internationals.

They should also be available for the visit of Warwickshire the following day, Saturday, June 6, when play starts at 2.30.