Somerset's on-off fixture ends in farce

Somerset's C&G Trophy game with Hampshire was finally abandoned at 5.27pm after a chaotic afternoon at Taunton yesterday.

Many spectators had left at 1.40pm when it was announced the game had been called off. But 15 minutes later it was back on, after consultation over a local weather forecast. Play eventually started at 4.50pm for an 11-overs-per-side match, but after Hampshire had made 56 for 2 heavy rain fell again.

After a 10-minute break the game became 10 overs per side. Before a ball was bowled down came another heavy shower and umpire John Holder removed the bails for the last time. Five minutes later the ground was bathed in sunshine.

No explanation was given for the earlier change of mind, but both captains wanted to play as their sides had lost two Southern Conference fixtures already.

The only tie to survive produced a surprise as Scotland beat Northamptonshire by 52 runs, making 202 for 6 before bowling Northants out for 150.

A rapid 107 from Phil Jaques set up Worcestershire's first win of the season against Surrey at The Oval on Saturday in the final day of the County Championship matches. Set 285 to win from 62 overs, rain wiped out 30 overs - yet Worcestershire overhauled their target with one ball and two wickets in hand. The Indian bowler Zaheer Khan hit Nayan Doshi for six off the penultimate ball.