Needing to win to have any chance of maintaining a title challenge, the visitors reached 41 for no wicket in their second innings before bad light, then rain, ended play.

Only Liam Plunkett with 32, and Dale Benkenstein (30) offered any support to Chanderpaul when he resumed on 49 with the score on 110-3.

With the ball swinging, and the pitch also offering some help, batting was never easy, and Benkenstein did the bulk of the scoring as he and Chanderpaul battled through the first 90 minutes.

The first run of the day came off the 20th ball, which the West Indian pushed into the covers for the single which took him to 50 off 91 balls with seven fours.

Only 26 runs were scored in the first hour, but the rate was doubled in the next 30 minutes before Benkenstein's exit sparked a mini-collapse.

The former captain cut Zander de Bruyn to backward point, then Ian Blackwell followed his five-wicket haul by lasting only two balls against his former colleagues.

Phillips picked up his third wicket when Phil Mustard pushed forward and edged to first slip to depart for two.

Durham had slipped from 161-3 to 166-6, and were still eight runs adrift, but Plunkett played some fine back-foot shots through the off side as he contributed 32 to a stand of 69.

Chanderpaul added only 27 runs in the morning, but when Arul Suppiah's left-arm spin was introduced, he lofted a four wide of long-on to move into the 90s and wasted no time in moving on to his century.

Durham added 43 runs in eight overs for the loss of Plunkett before the last three wickets went down for five runs.

After Plunkett was bowled by an in-swinger from Willoughby, who took five for 56, Callum Thorp made a swift 15 before fending to third slip.

Graham Onions was caught behind for a duck and Steve Harmison made one before edging Trego to give wicketkeeper Kieswetter his fourth catch.
Suppiah and Marcus Trescothick survived six overs each from Onions and Harmison, who is still seeking his first wicket of the match.