DURHAM can only hope for more rain today after the one curtailed session at Edgbaston yesterday left them precariously placed.

Keith Barker's bite was not as severe as they might have feared after he completed his century then struck with his 11th ball, but they struggled to 50 for three in reply to 450.

Both Mark Stoneman and Scott Borthwick self-destructed against former Worcestershire paceman Richard Jones, who was given a rare outing with Chris Woakes injured and Chris Wright rested.

It was left to Michael Richardson to provide the resistance to Barker, reaching 18 before more rain ended play with 11 overs still due to be bowled.

The one bright sport for Durham was that Graham Onions completed his first five-wicket haul since bowling Durham to victory at Derby in September, 2013.

Needing one more when play resumed at 4pm, he should have had it when Jones edged a regulation catch to Phil Mustard, who seemed about to throw the ball up when it went in the opposite direction.

Although it won't help Mustard to hang on to his place, the lapse wasn't costly as Jones' attempted off drive in Onions' next over saw the ball skied over point, where Keaton Jennings ran back to hold a fine catch.

Onions, who finished with five for 85, said: “I have missed a lot of cricket and I need to bowl regularly to get into my rhythm. I didn't bowl well against Nottinghamshire last week, but it started to feel better after lunch on the first day here. I need to take it forward from here.”

Having made his maiden first-class century here against Durham four years ago, Barker duly completed his fifth after resuming on 86. He remained unbeaten on 102.

He had put on 97 in 19 overs with Jeetan Patel when the former New Zealand international pushed towards deep mid-off and ran.

Barker wisely stood his ground, realising mid-off was not the problem but Onions in his follow through and the bowler duly collected and threw in with Patel stranded. He had made 58 off 59 balls.

Joined by last man Boyd Rankin on 94, Barker stepped across his stumps and scooped a ball from Chris Rushworth to fine leg for four. Two singles took him to his hundred off 122 balls before Rankin edged John Hastings to Borthwick. It seemed scarcely credible that Hastings had the very unflattering figures of two for 118.

Barker came into the match with 40 wickets in eight games against Durham at 13 apiece, which is half of his overall first-class average.

Stoneman edged the left-armer for three in his first over but without addition he tried to hook Jones and skied a catch to fine leg.

It became ten for two when Jennings shaped to play Barker to mid-on, realised too late that the ball was leaving him and edged to first slip.

Borthwick played well for 19 before he chipped Jones to deep square leg, who was more likely to have been placed for the miscued pull.

That brought in Calum MacLeod against his former county with the score on 32 for three and he survived comfortably enough to mark three off 15 balls before play was halted.

As it happened, the decision was premature as the rain which was swirling around passed by. But the covers had gone on and it was clear that some heavy stuff was approaching, so umpires Nigel Cowley and Jeff Evans called it a day. A few minutes later the heavens opened.

Durham seconds start a three-day game against Warwickshire at the Emirates ICG today with Graham Clark hoping to press his first team claims further after a sensational T20 innings yesterday.

In the first of two matches between the sides at Benwell Hill, the Cumbrian hit seven sixes in an unbeaten 85 off 36 balls. In a match reduced to 15 overs Warwickshire made 102 for four and Durham reached the target in 9.4 overs with three wickets dow.n. Non-one else reached double figures.