Somerset 202 (58 overs) and 350-9 declared (97.2 overs)
Sussex 250 (69.4 overs) and 62-1 (14 overs)
Sussex (12 points) drew with Somerset (11 points)
Sussex and Somerset both looked happy to draw their Championship game at Hove after the third day had been washed out.
For Somerset, the result consolidated their position among the Division One leaders. For Sussex, it kept them in the race while giving them a buffer from the other end of the table.
Somerset did not look in a carrot-dangling mood when they set Sussex 303 to win from just 44 overs. And Sussex were content to bat out the overs.
Any outside chance of a result disappeared when the players came off for rain with Sussex 62-1 after 14 overs.
Dan Hughes’s wicket was the only one to fall when he was surprised by the bounce achieved by Migael Pretorius and Tom Abell took a fine tumbling catch at second slip.
Somerset had started the final day on 167-2, a lead of 119, and at lunch it was difficult to contemplate any result other than a draw.
At the end of the opening session, Somerset had added 83 runs for the loss of just one wicket. That wicket came at 198 when Henry Crocombe came on at the sea end and dismissed Tom Lammony LBW with a first-ball in-ducker.
Lammonby’s 93 from 171 deliveries, with a dozen fours, was his highest score of the season.
Somerset lost their fourth wicket at 266 when Sean Hunt brought one in to Abell and clipped the top of his off stump for 37. The bowler had dropped the batsman, a difficult return catch, two balls earlier.
Sussex broke through again at 283 when Henry Nicholls, having just reached a solid half-century, was caught at deep midwicket by James Coles. The New Zealander appeared to be aiming to clear mid-on but got a thick inside edge.
It was the first Sussex wicket for all-rounder Joey Evison, who joined the county on loan from Kent last week before a permanent move next year. And he didn’t have to wait long for another.
Craig Overton had just pulled Evison for six but, when he attempted to repeat the stroke next ball, he was caught at deep square-leg by Jack Carson who made it look simple even though the batsman had hit it powerfully and flat.
James Rew perished in the search for pre-declaration runs, caught at deep point as he attempted to get after Tom Clark having scored 27 from 44 balls.
Pretorius was eighth out at 343 when he was well caught by wicketkeeper John Simpson, a diving effort as he sprinted towards square-leg, and Somerset declared on 350-9 when Jack Leach was well held by Hunt off Carson.
Before play, Somerset’s Jake Ball replaced Josh Shaw whose partner gave birth to a baby boy over the weekend.
Somerset head coach Jason Kerr said: “A draw was always on the cards after losing the third day, particularly given the nature of the surface. Losing time yesterday was incredibly frustrating.
“There was an opportunity to get ahead in the game and, unfortunately, we didn’t have the chance to take it. We had lots of conversations in the morning about what to do. There’s always a balance to be struck.
“In the end, when we set 300 in 44 overs. The reality was that only we could win the game. We should have got a few more in our first innings. Tom Abell was outstanding again.
“I thought we were incredible with the ball on day two and got ourselves back into the game so we can take a lot from the game despite the weather.”
Sussex director of cricket Paul Farbrace said: “Any positive result against Somerset is a good result. They’re a very good team. They have balance throughout.
“To have lost the game at Edgbaston last week by one wicket, I was pleased by the level of comeback this week. They play good cricket. But I was disappointed we didn’t bowl them out for 160 or 170 (in the) first innings.
“Today, I thought we were excellent. We bowled really well. Our endeavours in the field, our skill and intensity were really, really good.
“Somerset chose to play it the way they did and I don’t blame them. It’s a seriously tough run-in with six games on the bounce. But everyone’s in the same boat.
“But, overall, I would accept a good strong draw against a good Somerset team.”
