Date-stamped : 14 May97 - 06:16 Middlesex`s hard labour By Charles Randall at Lord`s Somerset (172-4) v Middlesex MIDDLESEX face the possibility of losing all their Benson and Hedges Cup group games for the first time since 1974 when their weather-interrupted match resumes at Lord`s today. Somerset`s advance to 172 in 38 overs threatened to raise a total beyond Middlesex`s scope, especially in the absence of Mark Ramprakash, who withdrew yesterday to rest a hamstring injury. Already through to the quarter-finals, Somerset needed Essex to be beaten in Ireland to have any chance of topping the group for a home tie; yet Peter Bowler allowed no let-up, and he resumes today with 54 well-made runs. Michael Burns batted intelligently between four breaks for rain, maintaining his prolific form with an 86-ball 54. Burns`s highest cup innings in five years at Warwickshire had been only 22, a figure he passed for the fourth time. A total of 225 runs in four group games with Somerset this summer bore testimony to his surprising impact. Somerset made a bad start. Mark Lathwell touched a catch to second slip off the day`s fourth ball and Simon Ecclestone was clean bowled for nine, both wickets falling to James Hewitt. The situation required a mixture of retrenchment and flair - well illustrated when Burns launched into Angus Fraser`s first delivery for a six over cover amid a flurry of singles. The seam bowlers achieved sideways movement off the pitch, extravagantly at times. One delivery by Richard Johnson almost cut Burns in two and disappeared for four byes, but Bowler and company were generally given too much short stuff to hit. The obvious exception was Fraser, who conceded only 23 runs off his 10 overs and eventually won his tussle with Burns, who holed out at mid-on after a partnership with Bowler of 108 at almost five an over. Richard Harden twinged his back and announced at least a partial recovery by flicking Jacques Kallis for six over midwicket. Source :: The Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/) Bowler the backbone By Charles Randall at Lord`s Somerset (287-6) bt Middlesex (260) by 27 runs THE Australians` three-hour practice behind the Nursery End in the morning attracted as big a crowd at Lord`s as the stirring Benson and Hedges Cup match on the main ground. That was a pity because the tie, though a dead one, produced plenty of good cricket and suggested that Somerset might not be quite good enough at bowling to return for the final on July 12. Somerset were guaranteed an away quarter-final place, while Middlesex were nowhere before yesterday and even further away after that, losing all four group games for the first time in 23 years. Peter Bowler, Somerset`s captain, had a good match. His 79 off 117 balls provided the batting backbone, and he juggled his bowlers effectively and set the right fields to halt a surprisingly persistent Middlesex run-chase. Somerset`s total was at least a dozen runs higher than it should have been, because Rob Turner was allowed to club 18 off the final four deliveries from Richard Fay with a passable impression of Babe Ruth. The prospect of an uncatchable score first arose when Richard Harden smashed - and there is no better description - 66 off 47 balls as the exotic start to his season continued apace. Mr Dependable was certainly Mr Flamboyant yesterday. Harden resumed in the morning with 17 runs and Mark Lathwell as his runner, having tweaked his back the previous evening. He batted superbly and tanked Paul Weekes`s off-spin over midwicket for two sixes in three balls. Weekes did make amends, catching Harden and scoring 77 of his own runs to inspire a respectable Middlesex reply, though apart from Scott Moffat, an impressive newcomer from Hertfordshire, no other batsman looked the part. Bowler has enjoyed a reputation as a dogged batsman, a blocker sometimes, but there are few batsmen capable of hitting orthodox strokes so hard, and, like Chris Tavare of old - another excellent one-day batsman - one cannot help wondering if both would have achieved more as stroke-makers. Middlesex eventually managed to bottle Bowler up, and he was losing effectiveness by the time he holed out to long- on. However, Turner`s 30 in 11 balls put the tin lid on Middlesex`s hopes. Moffat, batting at six, raced to 60 off 43 balls without appearing to take a risk; his placement proved almost 100 per cent right and he needed only seven fours. The Swansea graduate made a first-ball duck on his first- class debut last year. Perhaps more will be heard of him, after all. He perished trying to steer Andy Caddick for runs just when Middlesex had fought their way into contention against an attack which looked vulnerable at times. Somerset`s bowlers, without Mushtaq Ahmed, needed a good total behind them for security. Source :: The Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/) Contributed by The Management (help@cricinfo.com)