Mark Chilton's first championship century for 13 months helped Lancashire reach 290-6 before bad light ended play with 15 overs left in the LV Division One match against Durham at Chester-le-Street.

It had been overcast all day and Chilton might have questioned his wisdom in choosing to bat when Lancashire slipped from 37 without loss to 68-3.

Shortly afterwards, Stuart Law was dropped at point by Will Smith on five, but the Australian helped Chilton put on 140 for the fourth wicket.

It was one of two catches put down off Scott Styris on his championship debut for Durham, but his fellow New Zealander - off-spinner Paul Wiseman - chipped in with two wickets.

Chilton, whose century came off 185 balls with 14 fours, was on 115 when he left his crease and Wiseman turned one past him to the leg side, where Phil Mustard pulled off a stumping at the second attempt.

"I am just pleased to have played well and got another century, because it is always an honour to get a hundred for Lancashire," said Chilton. "I was really pleased with the way I played. Things have been pretty lean at the start of the season, but I just stuck in there and am pleased that things went my way.

"It was a day when things went well for me, and I thought that the middle session of the day was the one when the timing and fluency really came."

Chilton batted with impressive fluency in the afternoon. He was on 38 at lunch, with Law on 20, but the captain had moved to 99 before the Australian completed his half-century.

Law then began to open up, only to fall for 60 when he chipped straight to midwicket to become Ottis Gibson's second victim.

Mark Davies bowled a good 11-over spell, but his only reward came when Mal Loye pushed forward and edged to the right of Mustard, who held an excellent catch.

In the next over, Styris' second, Brad Hodge was surprised by extra bounce from the medium pacer and fended a catch to Di Venuto.