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Somerset and Warwickshire played out the inevitable draw on the final day of this LV= Insurance County Championship First Division match at the Cooper Associates County Ground.
Tom Lammonby was the man who ensured that the match finished all square as he battled his way to 66 not out from 120 balls in an innings that lasted over three hours.
Having extended their first innings score from an overnight 305 for seven to 392 all out in reply to 284, Sam Hain leading the way with a patient 118, the visitors reduced their hosts to 127 for six, a lead of just 19.
Oliver Hannon-Dalby claimed three for 21 and Chris Rushworth two for 33, but they could not prevent Lammonby and Craig Overton (29 not out) batting Somerset to safety at 180 for six.
Somerset took nine points and Warwickshire 11 from a contest that was affected by the loss of the first day’s play.
A draw appeared the most likely outcome when play began and interest initially centred on the battle for bonus points, with Warwickshire needing 93 off 21.4 overs to reach 400 and Somerset needing four wickets in the same period to claim maximum bowling points.
Hain and Burgess built steadily on the overnight lead of 23 until, with the total on 321, Burgess advanced down the pitch to Peter Siddle and was bowled.
Jacob Bethell arrived at the crease looking to increase the tempo. He lofted Jack Leach back over his head for six and took a single off the next ball to take the score to 350. Warwickshire had just under seven overs to add another 50 for maximum batting points, but their hopes suffered a blow when Bethell was bowled by Josh Davey for 19, swinging to leg.
Hain reached his hundred when a quick single to mid-on turned out to add five to his score as Craig Overton’s throw at the stumps brought four overthrows. It was reward for more than four hours of concentration by Hain, who had faced 254 balls and hit 10 fours.
Hassan Ali launched a six over long-on off Davey, and Hain also went on the attack before, with the total on 389 for seven, he was caught behind aiming a back-foot forcing shot off Leach.
Somerset skipper Lewis Gregory brought himself on for the 110th over, with his side needing one wicket and Warwickshire nine runs to register another bonus point.
It proved a shrewd move as Hasan, on 15, pulled a catch to Tom Kohler-Cadmore at mid-on and Chris Rushworth lifted a catch to Overton at long-on. Warwickshire had the consolation of a 108-run lead, with Somerset’s openers facing a tricky three overs before lunch.
They failed to negotiate it as Sean Dickson edging Oliver Hannon-Dalby to first slip where Rob Yates took his fifth catch of the match.
Somerset were one for one at the interval and in the first over of the afternoon Cameron Bancroft registered the second duck of the innings, pinned lbw by Hannon-Dalby.
Kohler-Cadmore fared little better than fellow debutants Dickson and Bancroft, scoring 16 before edging Rushworth to Hain at second slip to make it 25 for three.
When George Bartlett had his middle stump uprooted by Hassan Ali, having made 20 and with the total on 62, Somerset were struggling. There were still 58 overs to be bowled and they trailed by 46 runs.
With the deficit reduced to 16, James Rew was bowled for 14 looking to pull a short ball from Rushworth, starting a new spell having switched to the Marcus Trescothick Pavilion end. It was 112 for five at tea, Somerset leading by just four. Lammonby had played well for his 46, but there were still a possible 42 overs to negotiate.
The final session saw Gregory bowled by Hannon-Dalby for 26 with his side only 19 ahead. Lammonby went to a priceless fifty off 83 balls, with six fours, and at 132 for six the floodlights were switched on.
Mindful that bad light had ended play nine overs early on day three, Warwickshire employed spin at both ends. However, Bethell and Yates could not force another breakthrough.
Overton was dropped on 13 by Hannon-Dalby at mid-on off Bethell before the players shook hands at 5.15pm.
Lammonby had faced 120 balls and hit seven fours and a six. At the close of play, the Somerset opener said: “It’s difficult out there when you’re facing a quality attack like Warwickshire have got especially when they have momentum behind them. We found ourselves on the back foot a bit because they got a couple of quick wickets today. That put the pressure on the rest of the batters.
“I think we stuck in there well and got the points, which is important. It was nice to be able to hang in there and I felt solid. That was really pleasing from a personal point of view.
“We can take a few learnings from this with the bat and the ball and get ready to hit them with our best up at Trent Bridge next week.”
