Lathwell continues recovery process

Somerset 260-6 v Surrey

The black clouds that had hung over The Oval pretty well all day were as nothing to those on Mark Lathwell's brow as he trudged back to the dressing room after having been dismissed for 99 in the penultimate over of the day.

The Somerset batsman had deserved a century. He has waited long enough. He was at the crease for all but four hours yesterday, carefully playing the bulk of the 224 balls he faced. A hundred would have ended two wretched years for the man who won two England caps back in 1993.

He last reached three figures in September 1998 and since then misery has trailed him in the form of injury and loss of form. He spent 1999 sidelined with a damaged cruciate ligament and last season, in eight championship appearances, he scored 199 runs, with a best of 47. But as disappointing as it must have been for him to fall when so close ­ his attempt to cut Rupesh Amin gave Mark Butcher a third slip catch and the bowler his third wicket ­ it was still further evidence that he is recovering his touch.

There had been a couple of unscheduled intervals for bad light, inducing jeers from the crowd which were more taunting than Taunton, but they did not detract from an absorbing day's study of Lathwell's rehabilitation. He did have a couple of slices of luck, missed once on 20 ­ a difficult chance ­ which allowed him to go on to pass fifty for the fourth time in seven championship innings, and then again on 65, when he smacked a full toss straight, but very low, at a fielder. In between times, Lathwell was also able to help Peter Bowler put on 140 for the fourth wicket and help haul Somerset out of a bit of a mess at 74 for 3.

Lathwell was a study in concentration as he dug himself in very firmly. Patience and prudence were the watchwords. He weathered some severely good spells from Martin Bicknell and Ed Giddins and then settled down to grind it out with the two spinners.

Salisbury had been brought on just after midday, the earliest sighting of a spinner at The Oval and on a par with the first cuckoo of spring. There was the occasional full toss, the odd long hop, but there were also plenty of deliveries which demanded respect.

Jamie Cox and Piran Holloway had set off like an express train, smacking boundaries seemingly at will; Salisbury's entry into the attack acted like a speed limit and gradually the train slowed down before Holloway was done by the googly and was snapped up at slip.

Bicknell's fine opening spell was rewarded the very next over when he caught Cox neither forward nor back and the result presented Butcher with his second catch of the day. Burns almost made it to lunch, but thumped a long hop towards Shahid, the fielder palming the ball, then taking it at the second attempt. Thereafter Bowler and Lathwell restored Somerset's fortunes.

* Karl Krikken and Nathan Dumelow rescued Derbyshire after off-spinner Nicky Phillips had put Durham in charge of the Second Division encounter at Derby yesterday. Phillips took three wickets as Derbyshire slumped to 187 for 6 after winning the toss. But Krikken and Dumelow added 52 to lift the home side to 239 for 6 before bad light ended play.

Luke Sutton and Steve Stubbings put on 47 for the first wicket, before Sutton was caught off Ian Hunter for 15. Stubbings went in the next over when he edged Steve Harmison to second slip. Mathew Dowman hit some glorious strokes, but was bowled only five away from a half-century. Michael Di Venuto again failed to build on a promising start, making 19 before being caught behind. When Rob Bailey was dismissed, Derbyshire were 157 for 5 and the all-rounder Graeme Welch made only 16 before he edged a drive to Martin Love at slip.