County Championship Division 1

Middlesex (358-9) drew with Somerset (443-9d & 161-3)

SOMERSET captain Tom Abell hit his first half century of the season as the County Championship match against Middlesex at Lord's ended in a tame draw.

The skipper left the field unbeaten with 71 as the visitors made their way to 161-3 before the two sides shook hands on the draw at 4.50pm.

To have any chance at all of forcing a result Somerset needed a rain-free day, but a shower delayed the start of play and the away side endured a frustrating wait before having the chance to wrap up the hosts' first innings.

Lewis Gregory picked up both wickets to fall, sending Toby Helm's off stump cartwheeling out the ground before having Tim Murtagh caught at backward point to leave Middlesex 85 behind on 358-9 - Adam Voges not returning to the wicket having retired hurt yesterday.

Somerset's response got off to the worst possible start when Marcus Trescothick was out for a second-ball duck, but Dean Elgar and Abell joined forces to see them through to lunch.

Elgar drove to second slip on 33 and James Hildreth contributed 25 before he was caught behind off a bottom edge, meaning it was left to Steve Davies (22*) to see the match out alongside his captain.

After a post-tea delay for bad light, the players were ordered back on to the pitch for a farcical 10-minute period which saw the home side bring wicketkeeper John Simpson and opening batsmen Nick Compton and Nick Gubbins on to bowl.

Mercifully, proceedings were then brought to an end as both sides accepted the outcome.

Somerset take 11 points from the draw, which is enough to lift them off the bottom of Division One after Warwickshire fell to an innings defeat at Hampshire.

Next up for Matthew Maynard's side is a Championship encounter against Yorkshire, which begins in Taunton on Friday.