Chris Benham hit a century to hold up champions Durham as they pushed for a ninth LV County Championship win of the season against Hampshire at the Rose Bowl.

Benham, 26, whose previous best Championship score was 95, came to the crease as Hampshire faced the prospect of following on.

Benham dominated a fifth-wicket stand of 152 with Nic Pothas as Hampshire recovered from 114 for four in reply to Durham's 439.

Benham was playing in only his fourth match of the season after failing to break into the Hampshire top order, but he justified his elevation with a well-constructed ton.

Durham began the third day in a powerful position at 435 for nine, but added only another four runs before last man Steve Harmison was leg before to David Griffiths.

Durham captain Will Smith quickly turned to spinners Ian Blackwell and debutant Scott Borthwick and both were rewarded with wickets in the session before lunch.

Blackwell had Liam Dawson caught at the wicket at 52 and, 20 runs later, trapped Michael Lumb in front of his stumps.

Borthwick got his maiden wicket in first-class cricket when he had James Vince caught at slip at 87.

Opener James Adams was holding the Hampshire innings together in his 10th innings of 50 or more this season, but, soon after completing his half-century, pulled a short delivery from Borthwick to deep square leg, where Harmison clutched the catch.

Adams had struck seven boundaries in his 57, but Durham sensed the possibility of further breakthroughs until Benham and Pothas came together.

Benham slowed as he neared his century, but it came when he clipped Harmison off his legs for three as Durham struggled on a pitch which offered them little help.

But, almost immediately, Benham was out, edging Borthwick to Michael Di Venuto at slip after hitting 10 boundaries in an innings of 192 balls.

Durham snatched another wicket in the last over of the day when nightwatchman Griffiths was bowled by Liam Plunkett.

At the close, the obdurate Pothas was unbeaten on 55 and Hampshire still needed another 22 to avoid the follow-on, but time is running out for Durham with only one day left.

England's Harmison failed to take a wicket, while Borthwick's initial bowl in Championship cricket earned him figures of three for 71 from 22 overs.