Lancashire v Somerset: Visitors edge day as 18 wickets tumble in Manchester

Somerset and South Africa batsman Dean Elgar passed 50 for the 66th time in his first-class career

Somerset ended the first day at Old Trafford with a narrow lead on 153-8 after bowling out Lancashire for 109.

A painstaking 66 from Somerset's South Africa opener Dean Elgar earned the visitors their slight advantage after a day in which 18 wickets fell.

Craig Overton (5-47) did most of the morning damage, but it was Josh Davey who gave England opener Haseeb Hameed his second duck in as many innings.

Somerset were chiefly rescued by Elgar's 53-run stand with Peter Trego.

Their partnership came when the visitors had slumped to 67-4, only marginally better than Lancashire's lunch score of 64-6, having been put in.

Elgar has so far battled his way past 151 balls, a number of which were hurled down by an impressive looking James Anderson, so far limited to just one wicket, and the even better Ryan McLaren, who finished the day with figures of 4-46.

After Davey had removed both Alex Davies and Hameed for ducks, Overton made light of the loss of twin brother Jamie with a hamstring injury, removing Luke Procter (24), Rob Jones and Dean Vilas in quick succession.

But, with Anderson taking the new ball for Lancashire, it was always likely that batting might also prove difficult for Somerset.

McLaren made the breakthrough with a beauty that former England opener Marcus Trescothick edged to Davies for 20 - the first of four wickets for McLaren who bowled superbly throughout the afternoon, also dismissing captain Abell, Trego (19) and Overton.

Procter weighed in with three wickets and will resume on a hat-trick after removing Lewis Gregory and Davey in successive balls.

Lancashire captain Liam Livingstone told BBC Radio Manchester:

"We thought it was going to be a good pitch but you couldn't quite see the moisture underneath it until you marked your guard. There was a bit in the pitch in the morning and they bowled well.

"It wasn't easy. I just shut my eyes, swung, and connected. We could have played a bit better, and it has been a tough day for us, but we have dragged it back well in the last session.

"We don't want their lead to get much bigger, but when we were 42-6, we would have taken the position we are in now. We have to keep it tight in the morning and then graft, put a price on every wicket."

Somerset spinner Jack Leach:

"18 wickets in a day is a lot and both teams bowled well. We'll look to get as many as we can in the morning and then bowl like we did in the first innings and be as patient as possible.

"All the seamers bowled really well and made a contribution and it was only me who didn't get a bowl which is fine because means everyone is doing their job.

"It was swinging quite a lot and of course you're facing Jimmy Anderson, one of the best bowlers inn the world, so it was a really good challenge so I tried to look at it positively and get in the fight."