TAUNTON

(Day one of four: Lancashire won toss)

Lancashire 56-4 (MB Loye 26 not out, G Keedy 0 not out, 23 overs) v Somerset 202

Lunch

The gamble of spicing up the typically-flat Taunton pitch backfired on the home side as Lancashire's seam attack struck at frequent intervals, leaving second-place Somerset struggling for even a single batting point in their attempt to claw back the deficit on Nottinghamshire.

Marcus Trescothick fell for a third-ball duck to an alert catch at second slip by Stuart Law and Justin Langer soon followed to a thin edge defending against Glen Chapple. Zander de Bruyn had done the hard work but perished driving expansively and when Ian Blackwell chipped back a ball from Tom Smith that stopped on him, Somerset were 72-5. TAUNTON (first day of four; Lancashire won toss)

Tea

Peter Trego, promoted to number six after Somerset plumped for an extra specialist bowler, decided to hold back his attacking instincts as Lancashire continued to make inroads on a two-paced pitch. He reached an important fifty from 76 balls before Andrew Caddick finally helped in a partnership of note.

Gary Keedy turned the ball past the bat and with the Lancashire seamers offering little to hit, Trego could rarely penetrate a short boundary. Craig Kieswetter fell pulling a four after lunch, Alfonso Thomas misjudged the line of Glen Chapple and Oliver Newby claimed a fourth wicket when Steffan Jones drove to short cover.

Close

Despite evidence of the pitch beginning to flatten, Somerset bowled themselves back into the game through the new ball pair of Andrew Caddick and Charl Willoughby after Peter Trego's relatively patient 81 from 151 balls had enabled them to scrape a single batting point.

Caddick struck in each of his first two overs when he tempted Paul Horton and Karl Brown to nibble balls just short of a length on a line slightly outside off stump. Stuart Law then drove Willoughby to slip before Mark Chilton was undone on the crease against attempting to force.