De Bruyn century saves Somerset

COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION ONE, Taunton:
Worcestershire 571 drew with Somerset 280 & 523-8(Worcs 12pts, Somerset 8pts)

Match scorecard

Zander de Bruyn claimed his first County Championship ton of 2009

Zander de Bruyn's second ton in a week against his old county earned Somerset a draw against winless Worcestershire.

After ending Worcestershire's Pro40 hopes with a floodlit 109 at New Road on Monday, De Bruyn struck 106 to steer his side to safety at Taunton.

Starting the day on 203-4, Somerset still needed another 88 to make bottom club Worcestershire bat again.

But Craig Kieswetter (90), Ben Phillips (84) and Alfonso Thomas (54) helped Somerset bat out time on 523-8.

Somerset were following on after Worcestershire, still searching for their first win of the season, piled up a seasons best first-innings score of 571 dominated by Daryl Mitchell's 298.

But Taunton has proved a pretty docile track for all who have gone there this summer.

And a fifth-wicket partnership of 167 between De Bruyn, a pre-match doubt for the game, and his fellow South African Craig Kieswetter rescued the home side from the jaws of a humiliating defeat.

Even after de Bruyn was caught at first slip flashing outside off stump, just three overs after reaching his century, there was still work for the home side to do.

At that stage, Somerset were 107 runs ahead with only three wickets left. But Phillips, batting with increasing confidence, and Thomas closed the door with an eighth-wicket stand of 125 in 32 overs, Somerset old boy Gareth Andrew ending with 5-117.

Worcestershire missed out on that elusive victory - and have one final chance to put that right against county champions Durham at New Road next week.

But their 12-point haul was still their biggest from any County Championship game this summer.

Worcestershire director of cricket Steve Rhodes told BBC Hereford and Worcester:

"They played as a team and that is something we have been lacking a little bit over the season.

"They are a young team who enjoy each other's company and they got stuck into it together.

"It was pleasing to have Somerset on the back foot but the disappointing thing is that we ran out of gas. And, on a wicket like that, if you play straight, you are going to hang around and score runs very quickly."