Sussex's Richard Montgomerie fell four short of his highest score of the season when play began 50 minutes late in miserable conditions at Chester-le-Street against Durham today.

Resuming on 134 out of 338-4, Montgomerie moved on to 156 before Durham paceman Steve Harmison went round the wicket and had him well caught by Paul Collingwood, deliberately positioned between second slip and gully.

Montgomerie scored several of this morning's runs rather streakily through that area, including one of the four fours he added to take his total of boundaries to 20.

He was comprehensively beaten by former Sussex player Danny Law on 149 and got a leading edge just wide of the bowler off the next ball.

He had been batting for seven hours when an edge through gully brought up his 150 off 296 balls.

Under heavy cloud, batting looked more difficult than on the first day and Michael Prior was beaten three times in an over by Harmison.

But with Umer Rashid moving on to 72 not out, Sussex reached 383 for five after 120 overs and still had ten overs to secure maximum batting points.

Yesterday, he raced past 1,000 runs for the season, then set himself a new target.

It was his fifth century of the season, the third in his last four games and made him the second batsman in the country to reach four figures this season, behind Kent's David Fulton.

He admitted: "I can't remember much about the innings. It was a good toss to win because it was very windy, which made it hard for the bowlers, and a good flat wicket.

"They have got a couple of bowlers injured as well and it was nice to put them to the sword.

"It's nice to get to 1,000 but 88 of those were against Cambridge University so I would like to make it 1,000 just against other counties.

"The team were very polite afterwards. They were good about it."

Montgomerie has hit 1,000 runs in a season twice before while with Northants but this was the earliest he had reached the landmark figure.

He added: "It's down to a lot of reasons. Some of it is the fact that Sussex have backed me so well over the last three years.

"I am very aware of my strengths, mainly whipping it through the leg side, and I play to them.

"Now we are looking to push on to 450 or 500 if not more and see how it goes. Our bowlers are bowling well at the moment so that gives us a good chance."

Montgomerie shared an opening stand of 81 with Murray Goodwin, who was out just 25 short of reaching the 1,000 mark.

The little Zimbabwean missed a full toss from rookie spinner Graeme Bridge and was pinned lbw.

Chris Adams had ten fours in a 60-ball half-century and Umer Rashid contributed 56 to an unbroken stand of 90.

Montgomerie reached his hundred off 185 balls with 14 fours and added only two more boundaries as he survived for a further 89 deliveries.

His only scares came on 41 and 46, when a top-edged pull and a cut narrowly evaded fine leg and third man.

Otherwise it was a flawless performance as Montgomerie took full advantage of Durham skipper Jon Lewis losing the toss for the seventh successive championship match.

The depleted Durham attack was condemned to a day of toil and only former Sussex all-rounder Danny Law posed any threat with 2-63 in 23 overs.

Rashid, fresh from two big tons in the Second XI, hoisted Bridge over mid-wicket for six and added six fours in his 80-ball half-century.