Nick Gubbins, Liam Dawson see Hampshire to fighting draw at Taunton
Rains and Hampshire resistance prevent a youthful Somerset from pulling off an emphatic final-day victory
ECB Reporters Network13-Jul-2023
Kasey Aldridge struck twice before Hampshire dug in•Getty Images
Hampshire 330 (Organ 97, Abbott 89, Bashir 3-88) and 215 for 7 (Dawson 68*, Gubbins 50*, Bashir 3-67) drew with Somerset 500 (Rew 221, Aldridge 88, Bess 54, Abbott 4-56, Dawson 4-118)Nick Gubbins produced a four-hour defensive masterclass to earn Hampshire a backs-to-the-wall draw on the final day of the LV= Insurance County Championship match with Somerset at Taunton.The visitors slipped to 115 for 7, from an overnight 34 for 2, needing 55 more runs to avoid an innings defeat, before Gubbins (50 not out) and Liam Dawson (68 not out) produced a match-saving stand of exactly 100 either side of tea.Gubbins’ marathon vigil occupied 241 balls, while Dawson hit 14 fours and a six. Together they frustrated a home bowling attack in which 19-year-old offspinner Shoaib Bashir, who claimed 3 for 67 from 37 overs, excelled.Somerset’s young team, including three teenagers, had to settle for 12 points from a game they dominated, while their opponents took ten.Hampshire began the day needing 136 to avoid an innings defeat and soon lost first-innings hero Felix Organ, who drove at a ball from left-arm seamer Alfie Ogborne and edged to Tom Lammonby at third slip.No rain had been forecast, but a shower arrived at 11.20pm with the scoreboard reading 45 for 3. Nine overs were lost before play resumed at noon. Fletcha Middleton had looked largely untroubled in moving to 29 off 80 balls, but he departed with the total on 58, bowled by Bashir looking to play off the back foot through the on side.Bashir was looking hugely impressive for a player making only his third Championship appearance and without a run added he gave Somerset’s victory hopes a massive boost. Visiting skipper James Vince had held himself back to bat at No. 6 and lasted only four balls before glancing a catch to Kasey Aldridge, shrewdly positioned at leg slip.Ben Brown counterattacked with three fours in moving to 14 by the time a second shower saw lunch taken a few minutes early. At the interval, Bashir had figures of 3 for 17 from 12.4 overs, and Hampshire trailed by 92 runs.Three more overs were lost before a 1.45pm restart. Brown greeted the resumption with a cover drive for four as Bashir completed his 13th over and it was soon clear that Gubbins was setting his stall out to play the anchor role.The sixth-wicket pair built a half-century stand in 97 balls, foiling the combined efforts of spinners Bashir and Dom Bess and forcing Somerset skipper Tom Abell to recall seamer Aldridge to his attack. It proved an inspired move as Brown got a touch to a full delivery and wicketkeeper James Rew took a two-handed catch down the leg side, diving to his left.Three balls later, James Fuller fell for a duck as Aldridge found an inside edge through to Rew and suddenly Hampshire were 115 for 7, still 55 away from making their opponents bat again. Dawson got underway with boundaries off successive balls from Bess. Bashir was now bowling with five fielders clustered around the bat, but meeting solid resistance from Gubbins.He had battled away for 157 balls for his 31 runs by the time tea was taken with Hampshire 135 for 7, having reduced the deficit to 35.Dawson was the aggressor after the break as the pair took their stand past 50. Somerset turned to the occasional spin of first Tom Lammonby and then Andy Umeed for an over each without success ahead of taking the second new ball at 167 for 7.Bashir was handed it and Gubbins and Dawson still had work to do. A Gubbins boundary through the off side took his side into the slenderest of leads. Jack Brooks took the new ball at the other end with blue skies over the Cooper Associates County Ground. Dawson survived two confident appeals for close-in catches in the same Bashir over, Somerset fielders reacting with heads in hands.Left-hander Gubbins set himself to face most deliveries from the offspinner, preventing him exploiting the rough outside right-hander Dawson’s off stump. By the time the last hour and final 16 overs were signalled, Hampshire led by 17 runs.Dawson’s tenth four, hammered through the leg side off Bess, took him to a precious half-century off 115 balls. Gubbins followed to the same landmark off 237 deliveries and Somerset knew it was not going to be their day. The players shook hands at 5.35pm.