Rain and bad light holds up an odd day at Bath

It was an odd day at the Bath Recreation Ground as in-between stoppages for rain and bad light, the game progressed, but not in a way that many of the patient crowd had expected.

Somerset soon lost their overnight savour Ian Blackwell when he fell to a sucker punch, being caught by Udal at backward point off Mascarenhas. He had played exactly the same shot the ball before which went for four.

Robert Turner and Keith Dutch shared a 41-run partnership at two runs per over to show some signs of recovery but when three wickets fell in quick succession, either side of a length rain break shortly after the lunch interval, Somerset captain surprised everyone at the ground, including the Hampshire fielders by declaring, 91 runs behind.

The crowd were so surprised, that some of them even booed the umpires, as they thought they had been brought off for bad light!

On a wicket that had been playing tricks from the first day, with overcast conditions, some thought that the boldness of the declaration was sheer folly. However, the home side took four Hampshire wickets for just three runs, before bad light curtailed play for the day.

Derek Kenway was first to go when he attempted to hook Richard Johnson's first ball into the Bath Rugby Club, but was well caught on the boundary edge. White edged Johnson to keeper Turner and when Kendall and Laney fell off successive Matthew Bulbeck deliveries, Nic Pothas survived the hat-trick ball.

Hampshire finished the day, however, still in a good position, 94 runs ahead with six wicket in hand, but will be looking for a least another 100 runs which on that Bath wicket could be enough to secure a much-needed victory.