Murtagh strikes amid the gloom

Hampshire 131 and 100 for 4 (Adams 47*) trail Middlesex 467 for 3 by 236 runs
Scorecard

Just 17 overs of play were possible on the third day of Middlesex's Championship match with Hampshire at Merchant Taylor's School due to a combination of rain and bad light. The entire first two sessions were washed out, with play only getting underway at 4pm. Just over an hour later, the players were off again, with the light having worsened.

With captain Adam Voges limited in which bowling options he could use due to the murky light, Middlesex managed to take just one of the seven Hampshire wickets they require for victory, Liam Dawson gloving a lifter from Tim Murtagh to gully, where Sam Robson took a fine low catch. Murtagh, as ever, made a habit of beating the outside edge as Voges kept plenty of fielders behind the wicket.

Former Hampshire captain Jimmy Adams weathered a testing spell from Murtagh and James Franklin - the only seamers available to Voges with Toby Roland-Jones and James Fuller considered too quick for the light - looking in good touch to move to 47. Adams played some fine drives off the seamers and cuts off spinners Ollie Rayner and Paul Stirling as the light deteriorated, men gathered round the bat and the ball began to spit.

He was joined by debutant Joe Weatherley, who battled to reach 4 from 36 deliveries before the players left the field with Hampshire 100 for 4. At 5.55pm, stumps were called.

Middlesex return on Wednesday, when more inclement weather is forecast after lunch, requiring six more wickets for their first win of the season after an utterly dominant first two days. Centuries for Dawid Malan, Adam Voges and John Simpson set up a total of 467 for 3 declared, before outstanding bowling from Murtagh and Roland-Jones, who shared eight first-innings wickets, saw Hampshire bowled out for 131 and made to follow on.