Lancs and Somerset trade 21 wickets on day one
Somerset bowler Craig Overton took 4-32 in Lancashire's first innings
- Published
Vitality County Championship Division One, Emirates Old Trafford (day one)
Lancashire 140: Jennings 56; Overton 4-32, Gregory 4-50 & 16-1: Gregory 1-5
Somerset 146: Lammonby 36; Bailey 4-36; Balderson 4-50
Lancashire (3 pts) lead Somerset (3 pts) by 10 runs with nine second-innings wickets remaining
An astonishing 21 wickets fell on day one of the County Championship match between relegation-threatened Lancashire and title-chasing Somerset at Emirates Old Trafford.
Somerset won the toss and bowled their hosts out in bright sunshine on a pitch with a green tinge for 140 with four wickets apiece for Craig Overton and captain Lewis Gregory.
But Lancashire fought back with the ball, dismissing the visitors for 146 as Tom Bailey and George Balderson each claimed four wickets.
There was still time for Lancashire captain Keaton Jennings, who had top scored with 56 in the first innings, to be out for four in the second as the Red Rose finished on 16-1, just 10 runs ahead.
Somerset began the first day of their penultimate game eight points behind leaders Surrey and desperate to keep up the pressure in the pursuit of their holy grail - a first ever County Championship title.
And the action began right from the first ball when Kasey Aldridge put down a straightforward chance at second slip to remove Jennings off Overton.
But the England bowler was rewarded for an excellent opening spell, having debutant Harry Singh caught at third slip for seven and Josh Bohannon caught behind for four, the 100th first-class dismissal for Somerset wicketkeeper James Rew in only his 31st match.
Teenager Rocky Flintoff again struggled at the crease and the 16-year-old had made only seven off 34 balls, before he dragged on off Aldridge.
Jennings brought up his half-century off 65 balls, which included nine fours and four in one over off Gregory, and shortly after brought up 1,000 Championship runs in the summer.
But he got a bottom edge to another Aldridge delivery and was bowled shortly before lunch which Lancashire reached on 107-4.
Lancs collapse after lunch
But after the interval, Lancashire collapsed, losing four wickets for one run in the space of 24 balls to fall to 115-8, with two each for Gregory and Overton as they ripped through the lower order.
And when Tom Bailey was last man out, caught off a skier at mid-on for 16, Lancashire had been bowled out in just 40 overs.
Lancashire started this match 11 points adrift of safety and having failed to pick up any batting points, genuine survival hopes rested on them performing with the ball.
And they made the perfect start as opener Andy Umeed was caught at second slip off the first ball of the innings as he was caught in two minds over whether to leave Tom Bailey's delivery.
But Archie Vaughan, son of former England captain Michael, and Tom Lammonby then looked to have steadied the ship as they put on 58 for the second wicket.
However, Vaughan was caught behind off Balderson for 21 and Lammonby (36) edged to first slip off Will Williams in the next over.
When Tom Kohler-Cadmore was also caught behind off Balderson for three, Somerset had lost three wickets for seven runs to slip to 65-4 at tea.
Tom Bailey's 4-36 were his best bowling figures of 2024
Somerset pegged back in final session
James Rew had just got off the mark with a four backward off point when he nicked a Balderson delivery that straightened, before Aldridge had his off-stump removed by another beauty from Balderson to leave the visitors in trouble at 83-6.
Captain Gregory and former captain Tom Abell put on a useful 34 before Bailey returned to take three wickets in two overs to swing the game again.
It included the vital one of Abell for a hard-fought 22 and Overton thanks to a well disguised slower ball as Somerset slipped to 121-9.
But Jack Leach helped add a useful 25 for the last wicket with Gregory before he edged behind off Anderson Phillip for 13.
That left Lancashire 12 overs to bat again and Jennings could not make it to the close as he was caught at first slip from Gregory's second ball of his spell.
The Somerset skipper should have had a second in the final over of the day but a slash from Will Williams went at catchable height straight between first and second slip - the last four of 302 runs to go with the 21 wickets in 91.5 overs of crazy cricket.
