Somerset were once again beaten by the weather when their championship match against Surrey at The Oval ended in a rather disappointing draw.

Having lost the whole of Sunday to the rain Surrey resumed their second innings on 86 for 3, and were eventually all out in late afternoon for 332 leaving the Cidermen needing an unlikely 300 runs for victory from a minimum of 20 overs.

With the Somerset score on 45 for 1 after 10 overs the game was called off, to leave the visitors contemplating what might have been had the weather not intervened yet again and deprived them of an opportunity of getting a result.

After the close of play Somerset coach Kevin Shine told me: "The boys tried hard, but the weather won again. We competed well but just couldn't keep the breakthroughs going today."

He concluded: "If we hadn't lost that day then we would have got a result, but I'm pleased with the way that it went."

Somerset will be staying in London this evening before making the long journey north tomorrow ready to face the Yorkshire Cricket Board on Wednesday.

© SOMERSET