COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION ONE, The Rose Bowl:
CLOSE OF PLAY, DAY TWO: Hampshire 548, Somerset 98-3 (Hants 6pts, Somerset 3pts)
27-30 August 2009

Imran Tahir claimed a career-best 77 not out then took three late wickets to leave his side in control against Somerset at The Rose Bowl.

Building on Jimmy Adams' 147, Tahir was backed by veteran Dominic Cork (52) and teenager Danny Briggs, who helped put on 80 for the last wicket.

That helped relegation-haunted Hampshire pile up 548, leaving Somerset needing 399 to avoid the follow-on.

Marcus Trescothick (36no) is still there, but the visitors ended on 98-3.

Resuming at 286-4, Nic Pothas (41) helped Adams put on 40 before being caught behind off Charl Willoughby.

Centurion Adams was then next to go just eight overs before lunch, having adding 34 to his overnight score, also caught behind to an inside edge off Willoughby to end his epic 347-ball stay.

Dimitri Mascarenhas (31) formed a strong seventh-wicket partnership of 85 with Cork before being trapped lbw by Peter Trego.

Cork then attempted to accelerate the scoring further, taking the majority of the strike away from tail-ender David Griffiths before being caught at extra cover after his first half century for Hampshire, going for a lofted drive.

Griffiths soon followed and, when 18-year-old debutant Briggs arrived at the crease Somerset must have thought it was job done. But, from 468-9, with Tahir in sparkling form, Hampshire took the score beyond the 500-mark to record the fifth highest total at the Rose Bowl.

Briggs hit five fours in hitting 36 of his own from 53 balls for Somerset before finally being removed by a relieved Arul Suppiah.

In response Somerset began with some confidence as Trescothick and Suppiah (35) put on 76 for the first wicket. But Tahir then quickly changed it round to put Hampshire in the box seat going into the third day.

Suppiah's leading edge as he was sweeping succeeded only in returning the ball to the bowler.

And, just three balls later, the spinner removed Justin Langer for a duck courtesy of a smart catch by Cork at his feet, the Australian storming back to the pavilion convinced that the ball had not carried.

Tahir then inflicted further damage when James Hildreth fell cheaply, Mascarenhas taking the catch.

But nightwatchman Alfonso helped the country's leading run scorer Trescothick ensure there were no further alarms.

E-mail this to a friend

Printable version