LIKE a wounded, cornered animal, Worcester have found some fight at the death, although it is merely delaying their demise rather than offering a real chance of salvation.
Nevertheless, they have at least gained a measure of admiration for their spirit. Few would have expected them to take the game into a fourth and final day when they were bowled out for just 217 in their first innings, still 370 runs shy of Durham's first innings total.
But there was a much better response in adversity when they followed on, openers James Cameron and Matthew Pardoe defending and blocking well to set the tone, before the baton was taken up by Vikram Solanki and Moeen Ali.
It was always likely to be in vain, but Worcestershire's supporters, who have seen their side lose all of their Championship fixtures so far this season on their return to the First Division, were given some cause for optimism moving forward.
That their side will still lose this match is largely down to some wonderful batting from centurions Ian Blackwell and Gordon Muchall on the first day, although it will ultimately be the destructive presence of Steve Harmison in the opposition attack that has prevented Worcestershire from escaping the hangman's noose they tied around their necks.
Harmison may no longer be in the thoughts of England's selectors, but he remains a match-winner at this level. Whenever Worcestershire's batsmen began to look entrenched in the middle, he returned to the attack and took wickets.
There were three on Thursday and another yesterday morning when Gareth Andrew was caught down the leg side trying to flick a ball round to the fine leg boundary, but he really made a difference after tea.
Rested in the field, a player fast approaching veteran status for a fast bowler, returned to the attack and broke Worcestershire's resistance at the top of the order just as it looked as though they could score enough runs to make Durham bat again.
Solanki had reached his half-century before the interval, but he departed in Harmison's first over in the final session, trying to drive a full delivery, an inside edge clattering into the stumps.
Harmison repeated the trick a couple of overs later, Alexei Kervezee's poles tumbling as he was again beaten by a full delivery which appeared to be a touch quicker than the Ashington lad's stock delivery.
From 163-2, Worcestershire were suddenly 189-4 and, when Stokes entered the attack to finally dismiss Ali, the heartbeat of their top order were already back in the pavilion.
Two of them were dismissed by Ian Blackwell, Cameron going for 20 to a breathtaking catch from Michael Di Venuto at slip, showing tremendous reactions to palm a sharp edge into the air before showing he is still agile enough at 37 to dive to take a one handed catch when he needs to. The Tasmanian was rather less impressive when he spilt a more simple chance from Solanki off the bowling of Calum Thorp when he had scored just 12, but the brilliance of the first catch excuses him.
Blackwell also had Will Smith to thank after he took another athletic opportunity, diving forward to hold on to the ball off the bat and pad of Pardoe, who had looked to be set on 38.
There was still almost an hour to play when Ali fell, but once again Worcestershire refused to roll over and surrender, Andrew (33) and Ben Scott (30) standing firm with a 55-run partnership until the close, even seeing off a couple of over from Harmison in the process. Defeat has surely only been postponed, but even that takes courage.
Earlier, Durham had mopped up the Worcestershire innings efficiently enough, although their hosts suffered a setback before a ball had been bowled when Adrian Shankar was injured in the warm up, taken to hospital and unable to bat.
Harmison took the first wicket, before Ruel Brathwaite had Damien Wright caught at gully by Thorp, Ben Stokes bowled Ben Scott and Scott Borthwick ended the innings when Richard Jones top-edged a sweep, leaving Phil Mustard with an easy catch behind the stumps.
