THE long-serving Gordon Muchall was sadly absent from Durham's three title-winning sides. But he continues to punctuate his inconsistency with innings of high class.

When he progressed to 145 at the Ageas Bowl yesterday it was the first time for five years he had scored two centuries in a season.

However, after making 421 and taking three early wickets, Durham were unable to press home their advantage.

Before bad light ended play they were defied in the final session by Michael Carberry and their former skipper, Will Smith, who took Hampshire to 119 for three at the close.

The floodlights were on at 10.30 and stayed on throughout a gloomy day on which the legendary Barry Richards was signing copies of his book, Sundial in the Shade.

Richards, 70 today, averaged 72.75 in four Tests for South Africa, only for the apartheid era to deny him further opportunity to showcase his skills as one of the greatest batsmen the world has seen.

Certainly, Hampshire fans who saw him light up Southampton in the 1970s would have found yesterday's cricket little brighter than the weather.

That should not detract from Muchall's effort on a pitch which requires the graft which saw him spend 229 balls over his 14th first-class century, which took him level with John Morris in fourth place in the Durham list.

As at Arundel last month, it was difficult to imagine why there haven't been many more since making his first at Lord's in 2002.

He didn't feature at all in two of Durham's title seasons, 2008 and 2013, while in 2009 he made 106 not out at Hove in the third game then failed to reach 50 before he was dropped. Such has been the stop-start nature of his career.

His last home hundred came shortly after he made 140 not out against Hampshire at Basingstoke in 2010.

Having lost four wickets on the first morning, Durham lost only three in three sessions before passing their previous highest total of the season, the 413 they made in the second innings at Arundel.

Resuming on 85, Muchall middled nearly everything, only to hit a lot of shots at fielders as Usman Arshad scored the bulk of the early runs.

He was particularly strong through the off side off the back foot, cutting two successive balls from Jackson Bird for four as Durham achieved the third batting point in the 103rd over.

That didn't leave enough time for the fourth and they were on 326 at the 110-over cut-off.

Arshad contributed an impressive 60 to a stand of 128 before nicking Gareth Berg to first slip.

John Hastings was on four when he lifted left-arm spinner Liam Dawson over mid-wicket for six. But in trying to repeat the shot on 22 he was bowled and gave 18-year-old leggie Mason Crane his maiden first-scalp.

Dawson had Muchall caught by Smith at short leg off bat and pad before Graham Onions lofted a catch to mid-on.

The Hampshire spinners bowled 55.5 overs and Durham had Ryan Pringle on very early after a mid-afternoon break for drizzle.

But Scott Borthwick had to wait until the 38th over and bowled only one before the gloom closed in.

Carberry took until the fifth over to get off the mark but then hit three successive balls from Onions for four, the second one coming off the edge.

Jimmy Adams, who has handed over the Hampshire captaincy to James Vince, was lbw for five when half forward to a ball from Chris Rushworth which straightened off the pitch.

Dawson gifted Hastings a wicket when he slapped a catch to mid-off then Vince played like the one-day batsman he is.

Pringle tended to drop short, allowing Vince to keep working him through mid-wicket. But when the off-spinner pitched one up Vince, on 19, edged a drive and Paul Collingwood held the sharp chance at slip.

That made it 68 for three but Carberry had progressed to 57 at the close with Smith on 27.

*Durham pair Jack Burnham and Adam Hickey are in the England Under 19 one-day squad for five matches against Australia.

The first is at South Northumberland CC on August 11, which follows the only four-day match, at Emirates Durham ICG on August 4-7.