The umpires have been back out in the middle - but unaccompanied by any of the players and we wait to see when and if play can resume.

For now, the pitch is covered and the sky remains on the gloomy side.

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Essex director of cricket Chris Silverwood has shared his thoughts on a "very difficult last few weeks" after their game with Glamorgan was ended as a draw by the weather.

The club must now wait to see if Leicestershire are successful in their appeal against a 27-point deduction for breaching pitch regulations - if they are, Essex could be in Division Two next season.

"We'll obviously keep an eye on it because we don't want to go to the second division and we've got to hope that doesn't happen. We can only control what's in front of us so we'll just have to wait and see," Silverwood said.

"I think it's been really difficult last few weeks. It's been a bit of a revolving door with people coming in and out, the injuries and unavailability didn't help, I was going back to the same people and asking for more basically.

"We need to try to recruit well, we're looking at players - Wiaan Mulder I've mentioned before I want to get back, George (Bell) - we need to try create competition within the squad but also because if there are injuries, England call-ups it's a lot easier for us."

With the rain having returned the players are taking tea.

On the positive side there is some blue sky appearing over Taunton and the big cloud which brought the second shower is passing over.

So, fingers crossed in 20 minutes time.

Rain stops playpublished at 14:58 BST

14:58 BST

Somerset 731 v Surrey 422 & 68-4

Nik Gorantla drives Archie Vaughan for four runs but that will be it for now.

The rain has returned at Taunton.

Ben Foakes comes in and clatters Archie Vaughan through square leg for four to get off the mark.

Maybe that is the best approach rather than just prodding around a bit.

Somerset have got four men around the bat.

Thanks for the message, David. We did give consideration to Tom Haines, Tom Price and Jaydev Unadkat, but they just missed out.

Lewis Gregory tries to inspire his side by opening the bowling after the rain break.

Somerset are not exactly going for all out attack - just the two slips for the home skipper.

One run is taken from the over and we have 39 remaining in the day.

We have some cricket back at Taunton.

Archie Vaughan finishes his over which was interrupted by the rain and spins once between Nik Gorantla's bat and pad, before the young Surrey batter collects his first runs in first class cricket with a boundary.

Josh Bohannon might be left stranded on 190 here...

The umpires have conferred, with the clouds darkening overhead, and concluded that it's now too dark for play to continue.

Off the players go - and they'll take tea early. Hopefully they'll return to the field after the interval.

It's George Balderson's first outing as Lancashire's red-ball captain and he's set to avoid defeat. Which, in the context of the season they've had, is no mean achievement.

Balderson wouldn't mind marking the occasion with a nice unbeaten 50 or so, you'd think, and he's currently 29 not out, having belted a Colin Ackermann long hop to the midwicket boundary.

Meanwhile, Josh Bohannon is inching closer to that double century, with 189, and the deficit is down to double figures.

We have some good news from the south west.

Play will resume at Taunton at 14:40 BST with 40.4 overs remaining.

Image source, Getty Images

One of the regular features on our live text pages this summer has been our choice of the 'Team Of the Week' on day four of a round of matches.

We'll keep it brief this time - but here is our XI:

Asa Tribe (Glamorgan), Tom Lammonby (Somerset), Emilio Gay (Durham), Sam Hain (Warwickshire), Tom Abell (Somerset), Mitch Hay (Nottinghamshire, wk), Ed Barnard (Warwickshire, c), Chris Woakes (Warwickshire), Ben Allison (Worcestershire), Ethan Bamber (Warwickshire), Matt Milnes (Kent).

Use the yellow button on the left of the page to tell us how many you agree with, and who should be in there that we haven't included.

Frustrated by two or three near misses, Callum Parkinson is left to simmer in the field for a while as Colin Ackermann replaces him in the attack and sends down a tidy over for a single.

Lancashire pick up two more runs from the next, bowled by Shaf Ghafari.

50 partnership for Bohannon and Baldersonpublished at 14:15 BST

14:15 BST

Lancs 382-6 v Durham 493

Josh Bohannon has slowed down again a little now - and, at the moment, the sunshine suggests he's got plenty of time to get to 200.

The Lancashire batter's career-best looks a bit more of a stretch. That stands at 231, which he scored against Gloucestershire in 2022.

For now, Bohannon is 184 not out, with George Balderson slamming a Shaf Ghafari full toss to the boundary to reach 22.

Sadly the covers remain firmly on at Taunton with the rain continuing to fall.

The skies have brightened a little from when the players went off but with rain falling there is no prospect of a resumption at the moment.

Shaf Ghafari has been a tad expensive in this spell and he's wide outside leg stump, with George Balderson capitalising to crack him to the fence.

It's still spin at both ends, which means Durham are rattling through the overs fairly swiftly. Officially, there are 49 more to go, but you won't find anyone who expects anywhere near all of those to be bowled.

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Although the sun's out at the moment, there is further rain forecast later - so Josh Bohannon might be wise to get a move on if he wants to end the campaign with a double hundred.

He's on 174 not out, having survived a drop at slip off Callum Parkinson not too long ago - and edges another one in this over, but the ball falls just short of Kasey Aldridge.

Callum Parkinson must be despairing at his chances of getting that five-for.

George Balderson gets right underneath a pull shot and skies it in the direction of Duanne Olivier in the deep - who misjudges the flight of the ball totally.

Parkinson is getting the ball to spin, but he's having no joy at the moment. Lancashire trail by 138.