Hampshire v Somerset: Scores and match report

Match scores (Ageas Bowl)

Match drawn

Hampshire 1st inns:  211-9 dec (Dawson 53, Adams 47, Vince 47; Gregory 3-51)

Hampshire 2nd inns:  96-5 dec ( Gregory 2-34)

Somerset 1st inns: 147 (Hose 48, Byrom 43; Holland 4-16, Berg 4-28)

Somerset 2nd inns: 88-8 (Davies 47; Berg 3-17, Holland 2-23, Abbott 2-33)

Day four report

The Somerset tail saved their side from defeat in a last-session thriller in the Specsavers County Championship as Hampshire ran out of time two wickets shy of victory.

The Division One strugglers had collapsed to 79 for six, despite Steven Davies' 47-run attempt at a chase but were bailed out by the less experienced batsmen.

Hampshire had declared on 95 for five during the rain break to set up the thrilling, topsy-turvy, finale as they set Somerset 131 to win in 31 overs.

And captain George Bailey's decision appeared to be impeccably judged as Gareth Berg took two wickets in an over.

The fast bowler was helped by a stunning diving catch by James Vince in the covers to get rid of Marcus Trescothick. But three balls later it was all his own skill as he kissed the edge of Adam Hose's bat to offer a caught behind for Lewis McManus.

The new pink ball appeared difficult to play as with swung and seam, with play and misses a regular sight.

James Hildreth was the next to depart as Kyle Abbott finally got his first wicket of the match with a well-produced full delivery.

But wickets continued to fall around him as Eddie Byrom stuck around for a 28-ball 15 before Ian Holland bowled him - the medium pace bowler's fifth wicket of the match.

Tom Abell followed in the next over as he attempted to play a reverse sweep, but only looped up to Rilee Rossouw at first slip. Davies had been elevated up the order to open in the hope of quick runs and he provided with 47 from 40 balls. But he played one shot too many to drive Holland on the up to Bailey in the covers.

Tim Groenewald and Lewis Gregory blocked out 7.5 overs before the latter was lbw to Berg leaving an in ducker. Then Groenewald edged Abbott behind with seven ball to spare but Josh Davey and Craig Overton survived with the nerves jangling.

The draw leaves Hampshire level on points with Yorkshire, but are above them in third due to their win at Headingley earlier in the season, while Somerset remain second from bottom and in deep relegation trouble.

Earlier, the afternoon session had progressed the game nicely with the remaining Somerset wickets of Davey and Jack Leach falling in 37 balls.

Hampshire, who boasted a 64-run first innings lead, then proceeded to lose two wickets of their own. Openers Jimmy Adams and Dawson falling before the tea interval - the former run out from point, with the England international clean bowled by Groenewald.

Vince and Rossouw put on 33 in quick time - with the pair finding the boundary more comfortably than anyone else in the match.

But Gregory had the South African edging to first slip Hildreth - who spectacularly caught low to his right. Then Vince, caught behind cutting, and Bailey, foolishly run out in a mix up with Sean Ervine, fell in consecutive balls.

But as the rain fell, Hampshire elected to declare for the second time in the match but they could not force a positive result with the game eventually ended at 9:35pm.

Day three report

Ian Holland manufactured a Somerset batting collapse as Hampshire gained an upper hand on day three of their Specsavers County Championship Division One clash at the Ageas Bowl.

The Australian all-rounder took four for eight in just four overs to leave the visitors reeling.

Hampshire had been frustrated firstly by a completely washed out first session and when play did start at 5.20pm, Eddie Byrom and Adam Hose piled on the runs.

The pair looked at ease, while everyone else from either side had seemed to struggle with the soft pink ball. The second wicket added 77 runs, the second highest partnership of the match, as debutant Byrom reached an unfussy 43 before Holland entered the attack.

The Zimbabwean opener struggled to adjust to the slower pace and tamely chipped a dolly catch to George Bailey at mid-off. The wicket sparked a flurry of departures, as Holland struck again in his second over as James Hildreth was trapped lbw.

After a wicketless over, Holland was at it again as he had Somerset captain Tom Abell caught behind before repeating the trick to see off Steven Davies two balls later.

Holland could not be kept out of the action when the ball was taken out of his hands, as Lewis Gregory slipped while taking off for a quick single before Holland at backward point threw to Lewis McManus, who ran the batsman out.

Gareth Berg was surprisingly brought into the attack to replace Holland, who completed the session with figures of four for 16 - his best first-class figures.

But the shock of seeing the in-form bowler out of the attack was lessened when the South African had Hose - who had kept his head down to reach 48 - leg before to his first delivery of the new spell.

Craig Overton was the final wicket to fall before the interval as he clipped Berg to Jimmy Adams at midwicket.

Somerset had fallen from 102 for one to 135 for eight in 14 spectacular overs in response to Hampshire's 211 for nine declared.

But rain during the supper interval made sure the players failed to return to the field again.

Day two report

Only 13 overs were possible on a wet second day of the Specsavers County Championship Division One clash between Hampshire and Somerset at the Ageas Bowl.

Gareth Berg claimed an early breakthrough when he duped Somerset opener Marcus Trescothick into chopping the ball onto his own stumps from a delivery that proved too close to cut, the former England man having scored 13.

However, that was the only wicket of the day as the weather forced an early finish with Somerset on 43 for one.

Fellow opener Eddie Byrom, on his first-class debut, made steady progress to finish unbeaten on 13 from 50 deliveries. with Adam Hose nine not out at the other end.

Day one report

Somerset fast bowler Lewis Gregory took three wickets as the visitors enjoyed the better of the opening day of their Specsavers County Championship clash with Hampshire.

Gregory, along with his fellow attack bowlers Craig Overton, Tim Groenewald and Jack Leach, who celebrated two wickets apiece, seemed to enjoy bowling with the pink ball - which failed to offer any great assistance for much of the day.

The quartet battled through a seemingly flat track, which appeared to grow livelier in the evening and night sessions, to give the bowlers the advantage.

Only a promising partnership between Liam Dawson and Jimmy Adams and James Vince's 47 handed the hosts any positives during the maiden day of day-night Championship cricket.

Hampshire eventually declared on a modest 211 for nine before bowling six overs at Somerset, who reached 18 without loss.

Hampshire won the toss and elected to bat in the warm afternoon sun, with a wicket appearing primed for high-scoring batting.

Adams and Dawson made that early pitch prediction seem correct as they blustered through the opening exchanges.

The pair, who scored 10 of the day's 19 boundaries between them, looked comfortable, with driving through the covers a common sight.

They reached 74 at tea, with Adams dropped at first slip by James Hildreth off Leach the only blip of the session.

After the tea interval, Somerset turned the screw to gain control of the game.

Overton, who missed out on making his England debut in the Twenty20 series against South Africa, was the first to eke life out of a flat wicket.

The fast bowler broke the 84-run partnership between Adams and Dawson in the fourth over after tea when he had the former caught at first slip by Hildreth.

While the ball to get that wicket had jagged away slightly, the delivery to see off Rilee Rossouw was a standard short delivery.

The out-of-form South African top edged before Steven Davies pulled off a wonderful diving catch to hold the steepling chance - Rossouw now has five ducks in his last eight Specsavers County Championship innings.

Dawson, who returned after his stint in the England team, appeared in complete control as he was promoted up the order to open, with the out-of-form Michael Carberry dropped.

He patiently reached a 132-ball half century before Gregory got one to keep low and move in to see the England international lbw.

Captain George Bailey soon followed when he clipped a Groenewald delivery off his legs to Overton at midwicket, who struggled to keep out the action in the session.

The Australian's wicket saw Hampshire fall from 84 without loss to 132 for four and after supper the collapse would continue.

Sean Ervine got tempted into a late cut to Leach and feathered behind before Vince reached a sluggish yet classy 47 before attempting to tickle the spinner around the corner, but only found the gloves of Davies.

Groenewald took his second wicket when he cut Ian Holland in two with a sharp inswinging delivery.

Hampshire appeared in danger of missing out on a batting point entirely when Gregory had Gareth Berg leg before and Lewis McManus bowled - with the score on 198 and 199.

But a hoick into the leg side from Kyle Abbott secured a point before Bailey decided to declare and have a short burst at the Somerset batting.

But Marcus Trescothick and Zimbabwean debutant Edward Byrom saw out the remaining overs under the floodlights.