Rain Rules the Roost on Third Day Against Middlesex 

Just 17 overs of play were possible on the third day of Middlesex’s Championship match with Hampshire at Merchant Taylor’s School due to a combination of rain and bad light. The entire first two sessions were washed out, with play only getting underway at 4pm. 65 minutes later, the players were off again, with the light having worsened.

Middlesex, with captain Adam Voges limited in which bowling options he could use due to the murky light, took one of the seven Hampshire wickets they require for victory, with Liam Dawson gloving a lifter from Tim Murtagh to gully, where Sam Robson took a fine low catch. Murtagh, as ever, made a habit of beating the outside edge as Voges kept plenty of fielders behind the wick.

Former Hampshire captain Jimmy Adams weathered a testing spell from Murtagh and James Franklin - the only seamers available to Voges with Toby Roland-Jones and James Fuller too quick for the light, looking in good touch to moving to 48. Adams played some fine drives off the seamers and cuts off spinners Ollie Rayner and Paul Stirling as the light deteriorated, men gathered round the bat and the ball began to spit.