Date-stamped : 10 Aug97 - 11:43 Gloucs let advantage evaporate By David Green at Taunton Second day of four: Gloucs 119-4 v Somerset WHEN play finally began at four o`clock yesterday, Gloucester- shire, put in by Somerset, stumbled after Tony Wright and Matt Win- dows had put on 61 together in their best championship start of the season. The delay was caused by the dampness of the pitch and the swampy nature of the surrounds following the rain. Play could have started on time on the pitch used for the Aus- tralian match. But this, in Gloucestershire captain Mark Al- leyne`s view, was somewhat worn and, with the regulations stating that two four- day games should not be played consecutively on the same pitch, he was entitled to wait for the designated pitch to dry. Gloucestershire thus avoided playing Mushtaq Ahmed on a sur- face he might have fancied, but their sacrifice of playing time could prove costly. Though Andre van Troost and Kevin Shine were both edged through the slips, neither was accurate enough in helpful condi- tions but Graham Rose bowled more testingly, dismissing Wright, Tim Hancock and Monte Lynch. The first two were caught behind off well-pitched outswingers while Lynch unluckily played on via a boot. As the gloom gath- ered Windows, having made an assured 44, was lbw playing half forward to Mushtaq. Source :: The Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/) Somerset v Gloucestershire Third day of four: Somerset (191-3) trail Gloucs (350-8 dec) by 159 runs SOMERSET responded to Gloucestershire`s briskly compiled total at Taunton with attractive batting from Peter Bowler, 73, and Mark Lathwell, 68 not out. But with much time lost to rain, a posi- tive finish is unlikely, writes David Green. Gloucestershire, uneasily placed overnight on 119 for four, prospered against some ill-directed bowling, Shaun Young making a rapid 83 and Mark Alleyne 70. Only Graham Rose, with four for 55, escaped punishment. In the pre-lunch period, 163 runs came off 32 overs, the only wicket to fall on a placid pitch being Young`s, caught behind off a long hop having faced only 79 balls and hit 15 fours and a six. Young, whose six came off Mushtaq Ahmed, put on 140 with the more circumspect Alleyne for the fifth wicket. Jack Russell con- tributed a busy 37 not out to ensure a fourth batting point. Somerset`s innings began stickily, the score advancing at barely two runs an over until Piran Holloway, missed off Mike Smith on nine, fell lbw to the same bowler soon afterwards. With Bowler not yet imposing himself, Simon Ecclestone entered to club 30 off only 17 balls with six fours, before falling lbw to a near-yorker from Young. At 54 for two Somerset could have been in trouble. But Bowler and Lathwell played handsomely to put on 133 before Bowler was caught at slip. Source :: The Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/) Somerset on the back foot By Paul Weaver at Taunton Somerset drew with Gloucs GLOUCESTERSHIRE went close to an improbable victory in Taunton`s long shadows. The 22 points would have taken them back to the top of the championship, alongside Kent, but Somerset`s last wicket pair clung on with white knuckles. Set 277 to win from a minimum of 45 overs, Somerset ended on 138 for nine. They were saved by Graham Rose, who batted for two- and- a-half hours for his unbeaten 67. He had to be at his most resolute to deny Mike Smith, who had seven wickets in the match and Martyn Ball, who yesterday took three wickets in four deliveries for just one run. Last season Gloucestershire were also frustrated by Somerset`s last-wicket pair of Jeremy Batty and Kevin Shine, who was with Rose at the end yesterday. This was a match which never looked likely to come so close to producing a positive result. The West Country floods washed out virtually the first two days, the pitch was bland and the teams had a surliness about them after the captains failed to agree on which pitch to use. Somerset batted so poorly that at one stage they were 38 for six. Piran Holloway was caught behind to give Smith his 60th wicket of the season and Rob Turner, who had scored all his side`s 16 runs, went to the same combination. Any thoughts Somerset had of winning the game ended, effec- tively, in the sixth over when Mark Lathwell drove Jonathan Lewis to Matt Windows in the covers. Somerset lost two wickets in as many deliveries at 36 and Pe- ter Bowler was out to the first delivery after tea to leave Somerset 38 for six, but Gloucestershire missed a crucial chance at 51 for six when Tony Wright, at third slip, dropped a sim- ple chance offered by Mushtaq Ahmed. Somerset resumed on 191 for three yesterday, 159 behind, and declared on 252 for five, still 98 runs in arrears. Lathwell missed his century by five runs, hitting 14 fours and a six in a fluent innings. When Gloucestershire batted again Tim Hancock produced an in- nings even more vivid than Lathwell. Wright, Windows and Lynch had all fallen to miscued hooks against debutant Steffan Jones. Gloucestershire were 48 for three but Hancock and Shaun Young added 130 in 23 overs. Hancock`s 90-ball hundred was the cue for his declaration at 178 for three. Source :: The Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/) Contributed by The Management (help@cricinfo.com)