SOMERSET chief executive Andrew Cornish has outlined his frustration after the final day's play against Surrey was abandoned in Taunton, insisting "there was nothing we could do."

An overnight storm caused the covers to lift and saw rain settle on an area of the pitch, which was then damaged further by a tyre track from one of the covers as it lifted.

Somerset were 168-3, trailing by 171, following on in their second innings but the match has now ended as a draw.

Cornish said: "It is really frustrating and not at all how we wanted our home season to end.

"It is frustrating for Surrey, who are on a run, and for us. We have had some difficult days in the past couple of weeks so we were hoping to build on the momentum Azhar [Ali] and Tom [Abell] built last night.

"It could have been a really exciting day so everyone is bitterly disappointed.

"The ECB understand the situation and the matter is closed.

"There was nothing we could do. We brought in sandbags and secondary ties on the covers, but no-one can remember anything like this before. It is what it is - it was out of our control."

Somerset head coach Jason Kerr added: "You have to take the game situation out of it - unfortunately that surface is not fit for First Class cricket, which is hugely disappointing.

"The weather last night was atrocious. It's the first time in my 20-odd years here that I have seen the covers move, certainly to that extent. I've seen water get underneath covers at outgrounds, but I've never seen it here."

Surrey director of cricket Alec Stewart told BBC London: "It was very windy and I'm sure Somerset haven't done this on purpose in any shape or form.

"But we were trying to win a game - a 10th on the bounce - and it's been taken out of our hands in a game where we were well ahead.

"It's probably worth the ECB looking ahead, should this type of thing happen again - not so much the repercussions, but what would happen?

"Is it just an abandoned game? Is it the home side's responsibility to ensure that the covering and everything is of the right standard? I don't know.

"You can tell we're very frustrated, very disappointed - as are Somerset, because they wanted to try and save the game - and well done to them for trying to do that.

"If you get beaten by a better team or a team plays very good cricket to earn a draw fair enough, but this is out of our control and has nothing to do with cricket and therefore that's a real frustration and disappointment."

Somerset now need six points from next week's trip to Nottinghamshire to secure second place in Division One.