WORCESTERSHIRE face the challenge of establishing themselves in County Championship Division One after ensuring promotion on the third day against Durham at New Road.

It was their sixth promotion since the two-division format started but only once in 2011 have they avoided making an instant return to the second tier.

The County have focused on nurturing home-grown talent and 10 of the side in action against Durham are academy products.

Whether director of cricket Steve Rhodes opts to supplement the squad with a few experienced old hands will become clear in the forthcoming months.

But many of the players already at New Road will hope to use their season of Division One experience two years ago when they only narrowly failed to stay up.

Daryl Mitchell, Joe Clarke, Ed Barnard, John Hastings and skipper Joe Leach will have key roles to play if the County are to secure a foothold in the top flight.

The hosts bowled Durham out for 208 after claiming their final five wickets in the morning to wrap up the maximum six points required beforehand.

But promotion was sealed 70 miles away when rivals Northamptonshire were bowled out for 202 at Leicestershire, meaning they could not accumulate the same points tally.

Worcestershire will also go up as champions if they avoid defeat on the final day and second-placed Nottinghamshire fail to overcome Sussex at Hove.

Durham resumed on 142-5 and lost their last five wickets for 66 in 24.4 overs with only Michael Richardson offering much resistance in moving from 12 overnight to 45 not out.

Leach had Ryan Pringle (2) caught behind for his 66th victim of the season and Liam Trevaskis (5) was trapped lbw by Ravichandran Ashwin.

Barnard struck twice quickly as Mark Wood (0) was bowled and Chris Rushworth (9) fell to a low catch by Mitchell at second slip.

Pat Brown ended a last-wicket stand of 30 between Richardson and Graham Onions who gloved a lifter to Mitchell.

Onions shared the new ball with Rushworth and was successful in his second over as Brett D'Oliveira (4) fell lbw.

But Mitchell and Tom Fell cemented the County's position of strength in a free-scoring stand of 113 in 25 overs.

Fell, who has experienced a disappointing season, looked in good touch in making his 2017 top score of 41 before he tried to work Pringle to leg and got trapped lbw.

Clarke (5) departed in Pringle's next over with Graham Clark taking a smart catch at short leg.

When bad light and rain intervened, Mitchell, who has scored six Championship centuries this summer, was unbeaten on 68 out of 157-3 for an overall advantage of 284.