Somerset's Nick Compton

Middlesex missed the chance to go top of the County Championship as they were denied victory over Somerset by their former player Nick Compton.

The Lord’s side, who dominated the rain-affected match throughout, would have taken over the league leadership – at least for 24 hours – if they had succeeded in forcing a win on Friday.

But the in-form Compton – who survived a chance to second slip during the afternoon session – held firm with an undefeated 69 as third-placed Somerset thwarted the home attack to secure a draw.

Middlesex declared on their overnight total of 364-3, a first innings lead of 191, when the umpires allowed play to get under way soon after midday.

The home side’s hopes were strengthened when Corey Collymore had Arul Suppiah (4) caught in the slips, while Alex Barrow fell leg before to Tim Murtagh to leave Somerset on 4-2.

Compton and James Hildreth led the visitors’ recovery with a partnership of 77, but the latter (38) swung at Toby Roland-Jones and was caught in the deep.

Roland-Jones also got rid of Craig Kieswetter (6) soon afterwards and Somerset might have found themselves five down when Compton slashed at Collymore but Ollie Rayner could not hold on to the chance.

Gareth Berg prised out Joss Buttler (16) shortly before tea, but Compton moved calmly past his half-century and another former Middlesex man, Peter Trego began to play his shots.

Trego rode his luck with some edges through the slip area, but also took advantage of some short-pitched deliveries to slam a series of boundaries on the leg side.

After another brief stoppage for rain, Murtagh returned from the Pavilion End and immediately yorked Trego, who had just reached his 50, to leave Somerset still short of safety at 176-6.

Craig Overton lasted just four balls before he gloved Murtagh (3-36) into the hands of John Simpson, but Alfonso Thomas proved harder to shift and clipped Murtagh to the boundary to take his side into the black.

And Middlesex were unable to find a way through Somerset’s resistance as Thomas hit an unbeaten 39, with the visitors reaching 227-7 before the captains shook hands.