County Championship round-up: Chanderpaul cracks century to boost the Durham charge

Shivnarine Chanderpaul's timely first hundred for Durham yesterday kept his county in with a chance of claiming the County Championship.

Cricket's newest county were playing catch-up after a first-day washout against the champions, Sussex, at the Riverside in this penultimate round of matches. After a rash of top-order 20s and 30s had hindered early progress, Chanderpaul's unbeaten 130 helped Durham to 325 for 4 by stumps and they retain some hope of pushing on for the victory they are likely to need to remain within striking distance of their title rivals.

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At Scarborough, Michael Vaughan suffered yet another batting failure on the second day of Yorkshire's match against Somerset after a fine unbeaten 127 from Ian Blackwell had taken the visitors to a useful first-innings score of 380. The former England captain managed only 14 – following scores of 10, 0 and 19 since his resignation –before falling to a Blackwell catch off Charl Willoughby. But unbeaten half-centuries from Adam Lyth and Anthony McGrath helped Yorkshire to recover to 121 for 1 by the close.

Lancashire are in grave danger of losing their vital meeting with Kent at Liverpool despite having a much better second day than first. The relegation-threatened red rose county were bowled out for just 107 in their first innings on Wednesday but took five wickets in the second day's morning session to reduce Kent to 233 all out in reply.

Oliver Newby took 4 for 79 from 19 overs while Glen Chapple finished with 3 for 61 from 19. But Justin Kemp hit an unbeaten 56 from 82 balls and Kent then kept their noses firmly in front by reducing the hosts to 257 for 7, a lead of 131.