Ervine Ton Helps Hampshire Secure Draw at Taunton

Sean Ervine's second hundred in four days at Taunton helped Hampshire secure a crucial draw with Somerset on the final day of their Specsavers County Championship match.  

Ervine reached his century off 148 balls and put on a second-wicket partnership of 159 runs with Jimmy Adams, as Hampshire posted 254-5 to chase down Somerset's first innings lead of 249 runs, after the home side declared on 587-8.

Adams scored the 70th fifty of his first-class career but was cruelly denied of a 22nd century, hitting 96 runs off 268 balls before edging Jack Leach - the final major event before the players shook hands.  

Craig Overton and Roelof van der Merwe both reached their first centuries for Somerset at the start of day four, setting the club’s record eighth wicket partnership and extending the home sides lead to 249 runs before Mason Crane dismissed Overton, provoking a declaration at 587-8.

Jimmy Adams and Sean Ervine reacted to the early dismissal of Will Smith in exemplary fashion, producing a 159-run partnership with their backs to the wall to project Hampshire’s score from 6-1 to 165-2 and reduce the home side’s lead to 84.

Adams established a strong defence and steadily built towards his fifty, scoring 38 of the hundred partnership and reaching his half-ton off 169 balls, using his experience to play the situation.

On the evidence of Hampshire’s visit to Taunton, Ervine responds particularly well to pressure. Having scored 103 to recover a collapse on day one, the Zimbabwean all-rounder hit a series of boundaries and maximums to reach his second century of the match off 148 balls.

Ervine’s cool ton supplied a degree of comfort for Hampshire, who had been faced with the task of batting out 96 overs to seal a draw against Somerset, eventually falling to the bowling of Craig Overton after making 106.

James Vince (13) started sharply alongside Adams, hitting three boundaries before tea, but Somerset reduced Hampshire to 202-4 when the England batsman and his replacement Adam Wheater (0) were both deceived by Roelof van der Merwe. 

Adams was cruelly denied of his ton, just four away when he edged Jack Leach to Marcus Trescothick, having faced 268 balls during almost 5 hours in the middle at Taunton.

With Somerset still in the hunt for a win inside the last hour, needing five more wickets, David Wainwright completed the job for Hampshire by blocking the final overs of the day, having batted superbly for his 35 not out in the first innings.