Somerset 184 (Pretorius 47*, Fuller 4-42, Wheal 4-46) and 163 for 2 (Dickson 77*) drew with Hampshire 336 (Gubbins 82, Dawson 72, Pretorius 5-64)

Hampshire continued their unbeaten start and Somerset their winless opening to the Rothesay County Championship season with a draw at Utilita Bowl.

Sean Dickson, Tom Abell, and the weather quelled any chances of a final day route to a positive result in either direction - with a total of 175 overs, or around five sessions, lost in the match.

Dickson ended up unbeaten on 77, and Abell 27, after a 56-run partnership which had wiped out Hampshire's lead and taken Somerset away from any danger of losing.

Ben Brown's side took 13 points from the match, to Somerset's 11, to total a healthy 43 points from their opening three rounds and remain within touching distance of the Division One pacemakers.

The only thing stopping this match from becoming a draw was either an inspired morning of bowling or the forecasted rain blowing in the opposite direction. Neither happened, with the first part largely down to Dickson and Abell's stoic batting.

Hampshire had the ideal start as Tom Lammonby fell in the fifth over of the day having added two to his overnight score of 22. The left-hander couldn't control a guide to third after Kyle Abbott had extracted some bounce off a length, and edged to Tom Prest at first slip.

On three occasions, Abbott thought he had Dickson lbw but each time the vociferous Hampshire appeals were turned down.

Abbott was the pick of the Hampshire bowlers with his unerring accuracy with his eight morning overs only conceding 12 runs, with 83% of the deliveries resulting in dots. But neither he, Brad Wheal, James Fuller, Liam Dawson nor Brett Hampton could do anything to move the steadfast Dickson and Abell.

The duo blocked and left with clear heads while chipping away at Hampshire's lead.

A Dickson pulled two took the visitors in front - having been behind the match since losing six wickets for 40 runs in the first innings - shortly before rain brought an early lunch.

Light and then heavy rain prevented a restart until after tea, and even then only three-and-a-half overs - in which the only action of note was a dropped catch at first slip - were possible before bad light suspended proceedings again.

After two sessions had been lost on day one, and early finishes for bad light on the following two days, there was little surprise when the hands were shaken on a draw at 5pm, with Somerset sweating over a minus over rate and a potential points deduction.