DAY THREE - CLOSE OF PLAY
Somerset - 185 for 8
Middlesex - 283 all out
No play was possible on day three in the Middlesex v Somerset match at Merchant Taylors’ School, Northwood, due to persistent rain in north-west London.
Umpires Steve Gale and Neil Mallender did their best to get some play, deciding to have both an early lunch at 12.30 and then an early tea at 3.10pm, but more rain descended just when the ground had been made ready for play to start at 3.40pm.
With the weather refusing to improve, the decision was made to call off play for the day at 4.35pm.
The washout was intensely frustrating for Middlesex, second in the LV= County Championship’s Division One, who bowled well yesterday to reduce to Somerset to 185 for eight in reply to their own first innings’ 283.
Steven Finn, in particular, was a real handful for Somerset’s batsmen as he charged down the slope from the Benham End, taking 4 for 41 in 21 hostile overs and keen to complete a five-wicket haul when play resumes.
Finn is also leaving this match at the end of today to link up with England’s second Ashes Test squad at Lord’s, and will be replaced in the Middlesex line-up for tomorrow’s final day by James Harris, who was rested for this game.
Last year, Middlesex saw rain wash out the whole of their four-day championship match against Sussex at this venue. But that game would have taken place on an adjacent pitch in the impressive Merchant Taylors’ School complex, which is situated in a much lower-lying area of the playing fields and became badly waterlogged after heavy and prolonged rain.
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DAY THREE - TEA REPORT
Somerset - 185 for 8
Middlesex - 283 all out
No play was possible for the first two sessions of day three in the Middlesex v Somerset match at Merchant Taylors’ School, Northwood, due to rain in north-west London.
With the weather at last improving, however, umpires Steve Gale and Neil Mallender decided to have an early tea at 3.10pm, with an inspection ten minutes later with a view to resuming the match at 3.40pm.
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DAY THREE - LUNCH REPORT
Somerset - 185 for 8
Middlesex - 283 all out
An early lunch is being taken, from 12.30pm, in the Middlesex v Somerset match at Merchant Taylors’ School, Northwood, due to rain this morning in north-west London.
The bad weather is intensely frustrating for Middlesex, second in the LV= County Championship’s Division One, who bowled well yesterday to reduce to Somerset to 185 for eight in reply to their own first innings’ 283.
Steven Finn, in particular, was a real handful for Somerset’s batsmen as he charged down the slope from the Benham End, taking 4 for 41 in 21 hostile overs and keen to complete a five-wicket haul when play resumes.
Finn is also due to leave this match at the end of today to link up with England’s second Ashes Test squad at Lord’s, and will be replaced in the Middlesex line-up for tomorrow’s scheduled final day by James Harris, who was rested for this game.
The rain has not been that heavy, and umpires Steve Gale and Neil Mallender report that conditions of both pitch and outfield are still good. Last year, Middlesex saw rain wash out the whole of their four-day championship match against Sussex here, but that game would have taken place on another pitch in the impressive Merchant Taylors’ School complex, and it was situated in a much lower-lying area of the playing fields which meant that heavy rain caused it to be badly waterlogged.
