Somerset Resist Hampshire On Rain-Affected Day Three

Ryan McLaren and Mason Crane took key wickets but Hampshire’s bowlers were otherwise resisted on a rain-affected day three in the Specsavers County Championship against Somerset, who took a 196-run lead at Taunton, finishing 534-7.

McLaren ended Jim Allenby’s (56) progress and Crane removed Lewis Gregory (61), before Roelof van der Merwe (91) and Craig Overton (97) put on an eighth wicket partnership of 164 in a dominant evening session for the home side. 

Having posted a 338-run total and restricted Somerset to 257-5, Hampshire’s hopes of securing a second away victory in the County Championship were ultimately dashed by rain, which ruled out any play in the morning session and impacted the final overs of the day.  

The day began with persistent drizzle, causing the players to take an early lunch at 12.20pm as 13 overs were lost. It seemed a shame that weather should impact such a finely-poised game.

McLaren and Crane took a wicket each in the afternoon session, in which Somerset surpassed Hampshire’s 338-run total and established an 84-run lead before tea.

McLaren crucially ended an assured contribution from Allenby, who edged to McManus shortly after reaching fifty and taking the home side to exactly 300. McManus reacted superbly, having expertly stumped Chris Rogers for 11 on day two.

Gregory’s 70-run partnership with van der Merwe – the third man to hit a half-ton - frustrated Hampshire’s bowlers and carried Somerset to within 30 runs of a fifth batting point.

Crane crucially dismissed Gregory and, as Sean Ervine coolly caught, Hampshire had hope of restricting Somerset to less than 400.

Unfortunately for the visitors, the pair of van der Merwe and Overton put on a 164-run stand for the eighth wicket and, after another rain interruption, finished the evening by hitting 37 off three overs to project Somerset's total to 534-7.