WORCESTERSHIRE skipper Daryl Mitchell admits there is no margin for error in their must-win LV= County Championship Division One clash at Durham, starting today (10.30am).

Worcestershire are 15 points adrift at the foot of the table and 26 points from safety with two fixtures remaining.

Worcestershire, who have 120 points, have won only twice in the four-day format this term — their last success coming against Hampshire at New Road at the beginning of July.

Worcestershire’s bowling attack has been boosted by the arrival of West Indian Test bowler Shannon Gabriel — and they need to beat Durham to keep their survival hopes alive.

Centuries from Paul Collingwood and Scott Borthwick and seven secondinnings wickets from John Hastings brought about Worcestershire’s downfall.

Durham were bowled out for under 200 in their first innings, conceding a deficit of more than 120, but Collingwood guided his side to a winning second-innings total of 318-4.

It was a bitter blow for Worcestershire, whose survival hopes took a severe dent in their last outing when the county lost by an innings and 63 runs to rivals Sussex.

Mitchell said: “Durham is always a good place to go and play and it is normally a wicket where the ball moves off the seam. You generally get positive results up there and there is everything to play for. We are looking forward to the challenge against a pretty good side.”

Mitchell added: “Everyone is focused on improving and trying to get their job right for the four days at the Riverside.

"Shannon Gabriel gives us another dimension — he is a genuinely fast bowler and we will be looking forward to seeing him in full flow.

“Fast bowling always creates great drama and a little bit of theatre and we are looking forward to him frightening a few of their top-order batsmen as well as their tail-enders.

“He is a 90mph bowler and it is exciting to have someone like him in our side.”

Worcestershire slipped to six-wicket defeat against Durham when the two sides met at New Road at the end of May.

Mitchell said “We are in a tricky situation but we have to believe we can get out of it. If we win our final two games, we have a very good chance of staying up.

“Durham is not an easy place to go and win but you should be able to get 20 wickets in a game and it is a matter of making sure we get more runs than they do.

“We showed at New Road earlier in the season that we could compete for long periods against Durham.

“We now we have to win against Durham and then Middlesex to stay up. It is knockout cricket and there are no second chances.”