CHESTER-LE-STREET, England (CMC):

West Indies batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul smashed an unbeaten hundred yesterday and propelled Durham to a handsome first-innings advantage over Somerset in their English County Championship Division One match.

Replying to Somerset's first-innings score of 174, Championship leaders Durham compiled 272 all out with the gritty Chanderpaul providing a pivotal innings of 117 not out at Durham's Riverside Ground.

At the close of the second day, Somerset had reached 41 without loss, trailing by 57 runs.

After left-arm spinner Ian Blackwell (5-7) and pacer Liam Plunkett (3-65) had reduced visiting Somerset to their flimsy first-innings score, Durham resumed their reply at 110 for three overnight, with Chanderpaul not out on 49.

Nominated for awards

The 35-year-old Guyanese, nominated yesterday in two LG ICC Awards 2009 categories, paced himself to his first county hundred of the summer.

He shared in a 57-run fourth-wicket stand with South African Dale Benkenstein (30) and also added a vital 69 for the seventh wicket with Plunkett (32) to give the home side command after a sudden middle-order slide.

Durham had lost three wickets for five runs, sinking rapidly from 161 for three to 166 for six after losing Benkenstein, former Somerset player Blackwell (0) and Phil Mustard (2) in the space of five overs.

Chanderpaul, set to miss the 2009 ICC Champions Trophy in South Africa because of a players' dispute with the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) over contracts, reached his hundred off 193 balls with 12 boundaries.

His complete innings of 220 balls lasted 347 minutes and contained 14 fours.