Rain denies duo

Justin Langer made 50 as Somerset and Sussex played out a draw

The loss of 42 overs ruined what could have been a challenging final day's play at Horsham where Sussex's LV County Championship Division One clash against Somerset fizzled out into a draw.

Morning rain wiped out the pre-lunch session and when a start was eventually made at 2.20pm Sussex declared on their overnight 264 for five.

This left Somerset an improbable target of 336 in 54 overs, and they had reached 128 for two from 38 overs when stumps were drawn just after five o'clock.

Former Australian Test star Justin Langer compiled six fours in reaching his half-century from 80 balls, but fell only two deliveries later when caught at slip attempting to drive off-spinner Ollie Rayner.

Langer shared in a second wicket stand of 83 in 25 overs with South African Zander De Bruyn, who was unbeaten on 47 at the close.

Defending champions Sussex, who were hoping to force a third successive win at Horsham, remain unbeaten at Cricketfield Road since 1998.

Somerset, who take 10 points from the game while Sussex pick up 12, lost the wicket of Marcus Trescothick in only the eighth over when play finally began in sunshine.

The former England batsman smashed a delivery from pace bowler Corey Collymore low to point, where Chris Nash held on to a low catch.

Langer cracked Collymore for successive boundaries after carefully playing himself in, following a handsome cover drive with a firm shot past backward point.

Medium-pacer Luke Wright was also punished by Langer as the Australian steered him over the slips to the rope before vigorously pulling him for four.

Somerset, playing at Horsham for only the third time since the Second World War, reached an untroubled 61 for one from 20 overs at tea and young off-spinner Rayner then led Sussex's attack with Robin Martin-Jenkins as the game drifted towards a draw.

De Bruyn came out of his shell to drive Rayner to the cover boundary and, in the next over, the South African sweetly on-drove medium-pacer Martin-Jenkins to the fence.

James Hildreth, last out for 61 in the first innings, opened his account by square driving Mike Yardy to the fence, and later drove Rayner to the cover boundary in the penultimate over.