Relegation-threatened Lancashire bat twice against County Championship title contenders Somerset on day one as both teams struggle on a difficult pitch.
Lancashire 140 and 16-1 (Williams 6*, Gregory 1-5) lead Somerset 146 (Lammonby 36, Bailey 4-36) by 10 runs.
Both teams struggled on what looks a greener pitch than usual at Old Trafford with no overs of spin being bowled on the day.
The two teams were bowled out inside forty overs causing the hosts to have to bat twice on the day.
It was action from the first ball at Old Trafford with Jennings dropped at third slip off the bowling of Craig Overton. He then went on to score almost half of his team’s runs, posting one of only three double figure totals for the Lancashire batters.
Somerset’s Craig Overton was their key man today, he and Kasey Aldridge dispatched of Lancashire’s top order in style. The latter having Jennings chopping on to his stumps and the former producing a seed of a delivery to George Bell to take his off stump, leaving the Lancashire batter perplexed.
Debutant Harry Singh had a short stay at the crease, producing just seven runs before edging away to third slip. Next in was Josh Bohannon who played two splendid on drives before following Singh in the most seemingly obvious dismissal as anything edging to slip.
Up next, Lancashire lost five wickets for five runs causing a collapse of the highest order and left them all out on 140. The red rose have failed to score a batting point in the Championship since July 2nd.
It was a nightmare start to Somerset’s innings as opener Andrew Umeed was unable to remove his bat in an attempt to leave Tom Bailey’s first delivery, ending in the hands of Jennings at second slip.
Archie Vaughan and Tom Lammonby took Somerset to a modest total of 59 before their wickets fell. Vaughan (son of Michael Vaughan) fell to a loose shot off the bowling of George Balderson, who was still getting the ball to move off the seam.
This was followed up with the fresh legs of Will Williams who produced a peach to dispatch Lammonby. As tea was in sight for Somerset, star player Tom Kohler-Cadmore survives a plum LBW thanks to a Balderson no-ball, who then returns to his mark, runs in and has the middle order batsman nicking off to slip on the stroke of tea.
After the break, Balderson continued his previous form and found himself in the wickets once more claiming the scalp of James Rew and the off stump of Kasey Aldridge.
“We showed fight and we’re in a position where we can still win the game and that’s the important thing”, said Balderson, “there’s absolutely no reason we can’t go out there and bat the day tomorrow and actually make a really difficult chase for Somerset in that fourth innings.”
The last of the Somerset middle order departed thanks to a Tom Bailey delivery finding the edge into the slip cordon and Tom Abell, one of the many Tom’s this game has produced, headed back to the dressing room.
Bailey went on to rip through the Somerset tail, producing some smart bowling – slowing balls down, changing lengths and had the opposition on strings. Somerset were all out for 146 in the end after a short partnership of 25 from captain Lewis Gregory and Jack Leach pushed the score up.
Lancashire were sent out to bat out 12 overs to the end of the day with Jennings falling cheaply and nightwatchman Will Williams left to bat out the remaining four overs of the day.
Lancashire lead by 10 runs going into tomorrow’s play, looking like it could be a two day match.
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