County Championship: Hampshire & Somerset draw after rain-hit final day

Somerset batter Sean Dickson scored 77 not out as his side drew with Hampshire in the County Championship.

Sean Dickson, Tom Abell, and the weather quelled any chances of a final day route to a positive result in either direction – with a total of 175 overs, or around five sessions, lost in the match.

Dickson ended up unbeaten on 77, and Abell 27, after a 56-run partnership which had wiped out Hampshire’s lead and taken Somerset away from any danger of losing.

Ben Brown’s side took 13 points from the match, to Somerset’s 11, to display a healthy 43 points from their opening three rounds and remain within touching distance of the Division One pacemakers.

The only thing stopping this match from becoming a day four draw was either an inspired morning of bowling or the forecasted rain blowing in the opposite direction.

Neither happened, with the first part largely down to Dickson and Abell’s stoic batting.

Hampshire had the ideal start as Tom Lammonby fell in the fifth over of the day having added two to his overnight score of 22.

The left-hander could not control a guide to third man after Kyle Abbott had extracted some bounce off a length, and edged to Tom Prest at first slip.

On three occasions, Abbott thought he had Dickson lbw but each time the South African’s vociferous appeals were turned down.

But neither he, nor Brad Wheal, James Fuller, Liam Dawson or Brett Hampton, could do anything to move the steadfast Dickson and Abell.

A Dickson pull for two took the visitors into the lead shortly before rain brought an early lunch.

Light and then heavy rain prevented a restart until after tea, and even then only three and a half overs – in which the only action of note was a dropped catch at first slip – were possible before bad light suspended proceedings again.

There was little surprise when the hands were shaken on a draw at 17:00 BST, with Somerset sweating over a minus over rate and a potential points deduction.