Malcolm does the double over Gooch

Devon Malcolm completed a double over his former England captain Graham Gooch before the Britannic Assurance County Championship match at Derby meandered to an inevitable draw yesterday.

Malcolm bowled Gooch for the second time in the match with the first ball of the Essex second innings, but by then a stalemate was inevitable.

Four entire sessions had already been lost before heavy overnight rain prevented any play before lunch on the final day. When the players finally took the field at 2pm, there were only bonus points at stake and Derbyshire picked up two more batting points while the Essex bowlers collected a maximum haul.

Shane Lee, the Australian all-rounder, hit a century off 116 balls to guide Somerset to a four-wicket victory over Northamptonshire at Taunton. Two quick declarations at the start of the day had left the home side needing 330 off a minimum of 89 overs.

Surrey, in all sorts of difficulties at Gloucester, were spared the knockout blow as the tail ensured that they avoided an embarrassing defeat.

Gloucestershire set them 309 to make in two sessions for an unlikely win, but after tea a collapse almost finished them off and they were left clinging on at 174 for 8 at the close.

They had been rallied from a desperate position thanks to Mark Butcher and the acting skipper Adam Hollioake, who put on 84 in 27 overs.