SOMERSET have moved up into second place in the LV Division One Championship table after their home game against Hampshire ended in draw at the County Ground on Monday afternoon.

After losing the toss and being asked to bat first the Cidermen had reached 370 for six by the end of the opening day, which was based upon an unbeaten 126 from James Hildreth, 52 from opener Arul Suppiah, a hard hit 50 by Pete Trego, while Craig Kieswetter scored 43.

On the second day Hildreth and Alfonso Thomas took the score onto 445, ensuring maximum batting bonus points for only the second time this season for the hosts, before Hildreth was out for 155, having added 87 vital runs for the seventh wicket.

Thomas and David Stiff (25) then put on 53 for the eighth wicket before the hosts were eventually all out for 510 off 127. 4 overs, the all rounder ending up on 70, his best score for the county before being last man out.

Rain bought an early close to the second day by which time Hampshire had reached 83 without loss off 14 overs.

On day three Hampshire struggled against the Somerset bowlers who were very much in the ascendancy and by lunch the visitors had slipped to 186 for six.

Shortly after the break Michael Carberry, who had moved onto 123, became another victim for Stiff, who gave his best bowling performance at the County Ground as Hampshire were dismissed for 264, the 24 year old paceman ending with five for 91 off his 15 overs, a career best.

Following on 246 runs behind their hosts Hampshire had reached 122 for three by the end of play on the third day, raising the Somerset hopes of recording a fourth successive championship victory.

However on the final day John Crawley who was 14 not out overnight dug in, ably assisted initially by Liam Dawson (69) and then Sean Ervine (58) to see Hampshire through to the close by which time the former England batsman was unbeaten on 81 and the total had moved onto 357 for seven declared.

At the end of the final day which saw Hampshire bat throughout for the loss of two wickets in the 75 overs that were bowled, Justin Langer said: “It has been very frustrating for us today and we have suffered from the Taunton curse again.

“Even if we had Muttiah Muralitharan on that wicket I am not sure that it is going to make any difference.

“We had Arul Suppiah who bowled very well and that was a bonus but you can see that we outplayed them for the entire game but we just couldn’t get those wickets today.”

Langer went on: “We have shown that not just against Hampshire but over the last three years that whoever you are playing against it is almost impossible to get wickets on the last day, which is a huge concern for the club.”

Talking about Somerset's performance in this game the captain said: “They are doing everything, preparing well and they are playing well so I can’t fault them. It is frustrating for them, but it’s not just me it is every captain that comes here.

How do you think Anthony McGrath the Yorkshire captain felt last week?”

Langer added: “We outplayed them for 4 days but just didn’t get the result, a bit like Australia in the Test Match.”