Weather wins County saved by the rain

RAIN took out most of the final day at Bristol, denying Somerset the chance to press for a victory over Gloucestershire that would have taken them top of Group Two of the LV= Insurance County Championship.

They reduced their hosts to 27 for six replying to 300 for eight before persistent rain once again moved in.

It was not revenge for defeat in the return fixture at Taunton a month ago but it was significant notice that Somerset remain the team to beat in the group.

Somerset’s rally from 143 for six on the third afternoon to pick up three batting points and then six wickets in only 14.2 overs ensured a healthy 13-point return from the match with Gloucestershire taking 10 points.

Somerset close to within a point of their rivals at the top of Group Two but have played a game more, and fixtures with Hampshire, Leicestershire and Surrey remain.

Gloucestershire endured their worst two sessions of the season so far and it will be of immense frustration to have failed to build on an excellent position on the third afternoon that would have reinforced their credentials to qualify for Division One in September.

It would be lazy and unfair to use phrases such as “reality check” and “wake-up call” but no doubt they have to regroup ahead of a trip to The Oval today.

Leicestershire, Hampshire and Middlesex are their other remaining opponents in the group, the last two at Cheltenham College.

They will also soon have significant holes to fill in their batting order with Kraigg Brathwaite set to depart for the West Indies Test series against South Africa and James Bracey called up by England for the Tests against New Zealand.

But they remain top of the group and unbeaten after six matches and for the moment they dream, with Somerset, of a first Championship pennant.

Just 20.2 overs were possible on the

opening day, Somerset reaching 45 for one. A healthy crowd had filed in for the first Championship meeting of the sides in Bristol for the first time since 2007.

But they saw only a little over an hour of play before rain set in and play was abandoned around 4.25pm.

What cricket there was saw Somerset make a steady start after losing the toss.

Tom Lammonby was the only wicket to fall, run out for three as he dabbed leg side and set off for a single that was never there.

Sent back, he was run out by a splendid direct hit by Ian Cockbain running to his left from midwicket.

After that, Tom Abell pulled Matt Taylor through midwicket and drove him down the ground for boundaries in reaching 19 not out.

Eddie Byrom was alongside him,

unbeaten on 22, having driven Dan Worrall through mid-off.

No play was possible on the second day and the umpires abandoned the day just after 3pm.

Then on day three, Abell’s 132 rescued three bonus points for Somerset as the visitors made 300 for eight declared against Gloucestershire before the home side closed on 16 for two.

Bonus points seemed to be the only target and Abell played a true captain’s innings after his side fell to 176-7.

At that point, Gloucestershire looked set to deny their neighbours any bonus points at all before Lewis Gregory joined Abell and made 57 from number nine in a stand of 116.

Abell took Somerset to 300 before they declared, denying Gloucestershire the chance of a third bowling point with 8.3 overs remaining of the 110 bonus-point period.

It was Abell’s eighth first-class hundred and first of the season, in 255 balls with 11 boundaries.

On a wicket playing sluggishly having been undercover for so long, he sensibly waited for anything on his legs to pick up most of his runs.

He eased David Payne through cover to reach a hundred before playing the shot of his innings – a sweet straight drive off Matt Taylor.

But until Gregory arrived with a 77-ball fifty it was lone resistance as Somerset again proved brittle.

Resuming on 45 for one, Bryom and Abell took the score to 85 but Payne had Byrom edging an away-swinger to first slip where Kraigg Brathwaite held a juggling catch and a slide began.

James Hildreth drove at Payne, leaving a gap between bat and pad the width of the Avon Gorge, and was bowled for 15 before Worrall took three wickets in eight deliveries.

Craig Overton lost the skirmish of the allrounders as he edged Ryan Higgins behind for only 15 and at that stage, Gloucestershire were enjoying a good day in front of a healthy crowd in the rare sunshine.

But Somerset have perfected the art of the lower-order rally, duly provided this time by Gregory.

There was time for Chris Dent to push Overton to point and James Bracey to drive and edge Josh Davey behind before the day was out, and the home side plunged into disaster territory on the final morning.

Overton had nightwatchman Tom Smith caught on the crease and palpably lbw before Tom Lace was strangled down the leg side second ball.

Ian Cockbain played a back-of-alength ball into his stumps after Braithwaite had lazily clipped Josh Davey to midwicket.

But any notion of a dramatic push for victory, the like of which Somerset have pulled off in recent seasons, was ended by the rain.