Jamie Donaldson held on to his narrow advantage at a weather-affected Omega Dubai Desert Classic, as Rory McIlroy stayed in touch with the leaders.
The Welshman followed up his opening-round 62 with a three-under 69 at Emirates Golf Club to maintain his one-shot advantage, with Haotong Li his closest challenger after birdieing four of his final five holes.
Branden Grace sits a further stroke back in third alongside Alexander Bjork following a round-of-the-day 65, on a day where play was delayed by nearly three hours due to early-morning fog.
The afternoon starters were unable to complete their second rounds before play was halted for darkness at 5.45pm local time (1.45pm GMT), with McIlroy three off the lead with seven holes still to complete.
"I'm quite happy with a 69," Donaldson said. "I have backed up low scores like that with another one, but today it wasn't to be."
Donaldson reached the turn in 33 and saw a birdie at the 10th cancelled out by a blemish at the next, as Miguel Angel Jimenez rolled back the years and played his first 12 holes in six under to briefly hold a share of the lead.
After Jimenez found the water on his way to double-bogeying the seventh, Donaldson holed a 25-foot birdie at the 16th to pull ahead and set the clubhouse target at 13 under.
Li closed the gap by birdieing the final two holes of his second successive 66, while Bjork moved alongside Grace on 11 under by posting back-to-back gains before play was suspended.
McIlroy, who opened with a blemish-free 65 on Thursday, posted a close-range gain at the second and added birdies at the third and fifth before dropping a shot at the eighth after taking two attempts out of a bunker.
The Northern Irishman birdied the par-five 10th and saved par at the 11th as darkness fell, with play set to resume at 7.30am (3.30am GMT) on Saturday.
Playing partner and defending champion Sergio Garcia is seven off the pace after 11 holes, while Matt Southgate fired the first hole-in-one of his European Tour career on his way to a second successive 68.
Watch the Omega Dubai Desert Classic throughout the weekend live on Sky Sports Golf. Live coverage begins on Saturday from 8.30am.