Middlesex/ Somerset - honours even

Middlesex appeared to have got a strong grip on their NatWest trophy fourth-round match against Somerset at Southgate by scoring 223-4 at the end of a day shortened by rain. Yet they did not score as quickly as they had hoped to do and the weather could still tilt the balance.

Umpires Merv Kitchen and Ken Palmer saw more action than the players on a morning of dark cloud and flooded outfield. The skies were still overcast when the cricket did start in the afternoon. Conditions, perhaps, made for the bowlers: it seemed to be so when Paul Jarvis sent back Andrew Strauss (30) and Justin Langer. Then just for bad measure opening batsman Mike Roseberry (21) had to retire.

At this point the county batsmen were having something of the experience the West Indians had faced in their second innings at Lord's as Andrew Caddick, opening the attack with Jarvis, kept them under pressure. Paul Weekes and Mark Ramprakash steadied the innings and it was the latter who went on to end the day on 71 n.o. and came in for the evening with partner Keith Dutch (12 n.o.) Poor light caused play to be stopped. Somerset need to score 224 runs tomorrow - leaving in still anybody's match.