Nick Gubbins and Liam Dawson full backs-to-the-wall draw at Taunton
Somerset 500 (Rew 221, Aldridge 88, Bess 54, Abbott 4-56, Dawson 4-118) drew with Hampshire 330 (Organ 97, Abbott 89, Bashir 3-88) and 215 for 7 (Dawson 68*, Gubbins 50*, Bashir 3-67)
Nick Gubbins produced a four-hour defensive masterclass to earn Hampshire a backs-to-the-wall draw on the ultimate day of the LV= Insurance County Championship match with Somerset at Taunton.
The guests slipped to 115 for 7, from an in a single day 34 for two, needing 55 extra runs to keep away from an innings defeat, earlier than Gubbins (50 not out) and Liam Dawson (68 not out) produced a match-saving stand of precisely 100 both aspect of tea.
Gubbins’ marathon vigil occupied 241 balls, whereas Dawson hit 14 fours and a six. Together they annoyed a house bowling assault wherein 19-year-old off-spinner Shoaib Bashir, who claimed three for 67 from 37 overs, excelled.
Somerset’s younger crew, together with three youngsters, needed to accept 12 factors from a sport they dominated, whereas their opponents took ten.
Hampshire started the day needing 136 to keep away from an innings defeat and shortly misplaced first innings hero Felix Organ, who drove at a ball from left-arm seamer Alfie Ogborne and edged to Tom Lammonby at third slip.
No rain had been forecast, however a bathe arrived at 11.20pm with the scoreboard studying 45 for 3. Nine overs have been misplaced earlier than play resumed at midday. Fletcha Middleton had appeared largely untroubled in transferring to 29 off 80 balls, however he departed with the overall on 58, bowled by Bashir trying to play off the again foot by means of the on aspect.
Bashir was trying vastly spectacular for a participant making solely his third Championship look and with out a run added he gave Somerset’s victory hopes a large increase. Visiting skipper James Vince had held himself again to bat at No. 6 and lasted solely 4 balls earlier than glancing a catch to Kasey Aldridge, shrewdly positioned at leg slip.
Ben Brown counter-attacked with three fours in transferring to 14 by the point a second bathe noticed lunch taken a couple of minutes early. At the interval, Bashir had figures of three for 17 from 12.4 overs, and Hampshire trailed by 92 runs.
Three extra overs have been misplaced earlier than a 1.45pm restart. Brown greeted the resumption with a canopy drive for 4 as Bashir accomplished his thirteenth over and it was quickly clear that Gubbins was setting his stall out to play the anchor position.
The sixth-wicket pair constructed a half-century stand in 97 balls, foiling the mixed efforts of spinners Bashir and Dom Bess and forcing Somerset skipper Tom Abell to recall seamer Aldridge to his assault. It proved an impressed transfer as Brown bought a contact to a full supply and wicketkeeper James Rew took a two-handed catch down the leg aspect, diving to his left.
Three balls later, James Fuller fell for a duck as Aldridge discovered an inside edge by means of to Rew and instantly Hampshire have been 115 for 7, nonetheless 55 away from making their opponents bat once more. Dawson bought underway with boundaries off successive balls from Bess. Bashir was now bowling with 5 fielders clustered across the bat, however assembly stable resistance from Gubbins.
He had battled away for 157 balls for his 31 runs by the point tea was taken with Hampshire 135 for seven, having lowered the deficit to 35.
Dawson was the aggressor after the break because the pair took their stand previous 50. Somerset turned to the occasional spin of first Tom Lammonby after which Andy Umeed for an over every with out success forward of taking the second new ball at 167 for 7.
Bashir was handed it and Gubbins and Dawson nonetheless had work to do. A Gubbins boundary by means of the off aspect took his aspect into the slenderest of leads. Jack Brooks took the brand new ball on the different finish with blue skies over the Cooper Associates County Ground. Dawson survived two assured appeals for close-in catches in the identical Bashir over, Somerset fielders reacting with heads in palms.
Left-hander Gubbins set himself to face most deliveries from the off-spinner, stopping him exploiting the tough outdoors right-hander Dawson’s off stump. By the time the final hour and closing 16 overs have been signalled, Hampshire led by 17 runs.
Dawson’s tenth 4, hammered by means of the leg aspect off Bess, took him to a valuable half-century off 115 balls. Gubbins adopted to the identical landmark off 237 deliveries and Somerset knew it was not going to be their day. The gamers shook palms at 5.35pm.