There are certainties in life: death, taxes and Chanderpaul, shaping peculiarly towards midwicket, playing inside the line of the ball, nudging to the leg side or gliding the ball precisely through the offside, and, more than anything, steadfastly doing everything at his own pace. At 42, believed to be the oldest person still playing first-class cricket today, he remains clinical, cold-blooded and utterly unflappable, even after discomfort in his leg necessitated the use of a runner for the last portion of his innings.
All the Chanderpaul trademarks were here in eight remorseless hours that made it easy to understand why, uniquely, he four times went 1,000 minutes in Test cricket without being dismissed. Yet, as Lancashire's position became more assured, so Chanderpaul slowly dared to show off a repertoire of shots so expansive that he once scored a 69-ball Test century against Australia.
"I've loved playing cricket and the passion for it is still there," Chanderpaul said. "Always when you come into a new environment you want to show the guys that you're here to contribute. They look up to you, as the senior player, to go out there and put your head down and hold things together."
