County Championship: Lancashire and Somerset play out draw

Kasey Aldridge (left) celebrates his hundred with fellow centurion James Rew

James Rew and Kasey Aldridge both made centuries as Somerset played out a draw with Lancashire in a final-day stalemate in Manchester.

Somerset batted through the entire day, extending their second innings to 398-5 before hands were shaken.

Lancashire were without injured England paceman James Anderson for a third straight day.

After sending down 14 overs to take 2-16 on the first day, England's leading wicket-taker took no further part in the game - and Lancashire head coach Glen Chapple says it appears to be a groin injury.

It was 40-year-old Anderson's last game for Lancashire before the one-off Test against Ireland at Lord's on 1 June, followed by the start of the Ashes series against Australia at Edgbaston on 16 June.

Asked whether Anderson needs a scan, Chapple told BBC Radio Lancashire: "That is for England to sort out. It just looks like a tweaked groin to me.

"He bowled really well first innings but he has just irritated a groin. I don't think it's anything too serious.

"We should be positive about his recovery but he's done it badly enough not to take any further part in the game."

Rew, this season's leading run-scorer in the Championship, added to his burgeoning reputation in making an unbeaten 118, his second century of the match, and the 19-year-old's third of the season.

He shared an unbroken 192-run stand with Aldridge, whose maiden first-class century on 101 finally brought the game to an end.

Starting on 114-3, Somerset lost Tom Kohler-Cadmore when he played inside a Will Williams delivery that knocked back his off stump.

Tom Lammonby then went for a season's best 78 before he was stumped trying to launch Tom Hartley towards the new hotel being constructed at mid-wicket.

But, with the lead now beyond 300 and no declaration forthcoming, it was then just a question of when Rew and Aldridge both made it to three figures.

With this year's T20 Blast set to begin next weekend, Lancashire are not in County Championship action for a month until they host Hampshire at Southport on 11 June.

Somerset, also still winless after five matches, have one more four-day game before the T20 start - at Lord's against Middlesex, beginning on Thursday.

Lancs head coach Glen Chapple told BBC Radio Lancashire:

"We came in this morning thinking there was a really good game in prospect. They were 149 in front overnight which in our minds meant that a positive session from them or a good start for us, either way there was a good chance of a game.

"Unfortunately we didn't make early breakthroughs but we still expected to be set a score. It's a good pitch but scoring quickly wasn't easy and a good target could have been set to give both teams a chance.

"We're trying to play positive cricket. Our scoring rates are good, we've got the highest run-rate for any batting team in Division One. Unfortunately so far with the pitches we've played on, and a bit of rain, we've not been able to force a result.

"We set a really good declaration at Nottingham last week which, credit to Nottinghamshire, they went for it from ball one. We didn't get over the line but it was a good game of cricket. This was the opposite. There was a good game in prospect and for some reason Somerset weren't interested. I've got no explanation for that."

Somerset captain Tom Abell:

"We went to Lancashire on Saturday afternoon before the second new ball about the possibility of making a game.

"We felt we needed the best part of 96 overs to bowl a side out and it wasn't right for them at the time, which is fair enough.

"So we had to build our lead and losing those wickets last night probably affected our ability this morning a little bit to push on. A chase of only 50 or 60 overs only plays into their hands.

"We wanted to set up a game where both teams would have a chance of winning but ultimately it didn't feel right. 50 or 60 overs on that surface wasn't going to be enough. So it turned into a bit of a damp squib."