Somerset frustrated by draw

(ECB Match Report)

Somerset wasted the opportunity to go top of the LV County Championship after Hampshire batted through most of the last day to ensure a draw.

The west country side had hopes of an outside chance of victory after their first innings ended with them 120 ahead.

But an unbroken stand of 170 between Michael Carberry and Michael Lumb ensured they had to be content with the draw.

The visitors began the last day trying to make up for the loss of 71 overs over the previous three days to rain.

They were 69 ahead and Ian Blackwell and Alfonso Thomas were quick to add to the Somerset lead.

The eighth-wicket pair took the score to 423 before the stand was finally broken by the Hampshire captain Dimitri Mascarenhas.

Blackwell had scored 129 in an innings of 214 balls and had hit 13 fours and a six before he drove at Mascarenhas in an attempt to push the score along and was caught at the wicket by Nic Pothas.

Thomas was ninth out at 436, snapped up at second slip by Sean Ervine to give Mascarenhas his second wicket.

He got his third when last man Charl Willoughby lofted a drive into the covers where James Adams held the catch.

Mascarenhas, having wiped out the tail, finished with 3-56 while a mammoth stint from spinner Imran Tahir of 45 overs gleaned him 3-148.

Somerset were dependant on Hampshire folding under the pressure of trying to wipe out the substantial deficit.

Their hopes were raised when Adams, attempting an aggressive stroke, smashed the ball into his stumps at 26 to give Peter Trego his wicket for the second time in the match.

But then Carberry and Lumb, scorer of a century in the first innings, took command and wiped out the deficit so that a draw became inevitable.

When the match ended Hampshire were 76 ahead and the batsmen were destined for centuries had time not interrupted.

Carberry was unbeaten with 88 in an innings of 13 fours while Lumb had scored 83 from 152 balls when Somerset accepted their fate.

Hampshire's next match is against Middlesex in the NatWest Pro40 at Lord's on Sunday 24th September.

 Scorecard

Thomas (43) caught by Ervine bowled by Mascarenhas (Photo - Barry Zee)

Adams (10) bowled by Trego (Photo - Barry Zee)

Trego congratuated by Trescothick on taking Adam's wicket (Photo - Barry Zee) 

Lumb replaced Adams and made 83 (Photo - Barry Zee)

Carberry and Lumb's partnership made an unbroken stand of 170 (Photo - Barry Zee)

Carberry top-scored in Hampshire's 2nd innings (88) not-out (Photo - Barry Zee)

Mascarenhas and the team shake hands with Somerset and the match Umpires Mr R Illingworth and Mr J Lloyds (Photo - Barry Zee) 

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