Downpours at Durham once again

Durham suffered their seventh washed-out day of the season when it was decided at 3pm that no play would be possible against Somerset.

With better weather forecast on the final day, Somerset will still fancy their chances of pulling off an unlikely win by dismissing Durham cheaply a second time.

With the pitch having sweated under the covers for two days, batting will not be any easier than on the first day, when Durham were all out for 125 before Somerset replied with 220 for eight.

That has left Durham without any prospect of victory, meaning they will remain bottom of the LV= County Championship First Division table.

Durham were handed further bad news with all-rounder Ben Stokes due to see a specialist next week on a knee injury.

The 20-year-old could miss up to three weeks after his knee became swollen this week.

He had been due to play for the England Lions against West Indies in their ongoing match at Northampton, but was initially sidelined by a back problem.

Stokes had an injection to help clear that problem on Wednesday, with Durham hoping he would be available for their Clydesdale Bank 40 match against Somerset on Sunday.

But Stokes' poor run with injury has continued, with Durham coach Geoff Cook claiming he had sustained a tear to the cartilage of his knee.

"He's probably going to miss two or three weeks," he said. "One day he turned up and his knee has swelled up."

Depending on the outcome of his meeting with the specialist Stokes may not be able to play until June, which would rule him out of Durham's next three Clydesdale Bank 40 matches as well as their LV= County Championship match against Lancashire, which begins on May 30.

One-day captain Dale Benkenstein will also see a specialist early next week about the shoulder problem he developed during fielding practice this week.

He is set to miss Sunday's game against Somerset with Paul Collingwood set to take over as skipper.