Somerset slump to another innings defeat

Lancashire 451 (Maharoof 102, Kirby 6-115) beat Somerset 268 and 163 (Maharoof 2-25, Smith 2-25) by an innings and 20 runs
Scorecard

Somerset's confusing start to the new season continued here with a second consecutive innings defeat, giving every pundit who had made them favourites for the title this season cause to wonder if they have made a serious error of judgment.

This was not a humiliation on the scale of their calamitous opening against Warwickshire at Taunton, where the margin required a trawl through the record books back to 1895 to find something worse. It was a thumping nonetheless, set up by a debut century from the Sri Lankan allrounder, Farveez Maharoof, and completed midway through the final session on day three when a stumping for the excellent Gareth Cross to remove Ajantha Mendis put Somerset out of their agony, bowled out for 163.

The result may also require a reassessment of Lancashire's prospects. Considered by some to be among those who might find the season a struggle, particularly with only a small squad at their disposal and a heavy dependence on their veterans, Glen Chapple and Gary Keedy, to take their wickets, Lancashire's record after two matches is the exact opposite of Somerset's.

After winning both their matches by an innings, they sit proudly at the top of the early First Division table, and while that may not mean a lot in April, the lessons of recent history are that an early-season roll can be the bedrock of a successful summer.

It was suggested to me that Somerset's humbling at the hands of Warwickshire might not have been a bad thing, however painful, if it reminded them that they cannot expect the title to fall into their laps, even if they have all the credentials. If two kicks up the backside are necessary, though, Marcus Trescothick is right to be concerned.

"You could try to sum it up with any number of cliches but the fact is that we are not playing well enough," Trescothick said. "We are not switched on to what we need to be doing. There has been nothing wrong with our preparation but at the end of the day it comes down to whether you play well or you play badly. It is up to individuals to get it right."

What made victory taste all the more sweet for Lancashire is that they did it without Chapple, who missed the match because of a calf problem, and cocked a snook at anyone who had doubted their judgment in picking Maharoof as their overseas player, a decision driven in part by cost.

The 26-year-old allrounder was the architect of Lancashire's success, turning the occasion into a personal triumph by scoring a debut century and adding a couple of wickets for good measure.

His 102 batting at No. 8 was the fulcrum of Lancashire's second consecutive first innings total in excess of 450. After sharing a key partnership with Tom Smith on Thursday, he took the initiative himself yesterday, when he particularly enjoyed getting the better of his compatriot, the mystery spinner Mendis, whose wiles were clearly no mystery to him.

Having promised on Thursday to "smoke" Mendis if he had the chance, he was true to his word. Eight of his 14 boundaries -- 13 fours and a six -- came off the spinner, who ended with figures of 0 for 103. The six, hit hard and straight, soared over the bowler's head, landing somewhere in the vicinity of the tennis courts at the River End.

Maharoof has made no secret of his own reasons for coming to play in England at this time, coinciding with a Sri Lanka tour. Three and a half years after his last Test appearance, Maharoof is eager to remind his national selectors of what they are missing. "I want to prove something to myself and to others," he said. "That is the reason I'm here, to make my case for getting back into the Test squad."

Somerset's batting looked brittle from the moment Maharoof made the first breakthrough as they confronted a 183-run first innings deficit. Nothing summed up their state of disarray more uncomfortably during a collapse from 30 for 0 to 81 for 6 than the dismissal of James Hildreth, who was unwisely attempting a fourth run when Craig Kieswetter stopped him in his tracks and Steven Croft's throw allowed Maharoof to whip off the bails at the non-striker's end.

Otherwise, there were simply too many loose strokes as Maharoof showed himself to be well capable of adapting quickly to English conditions, tempting the drive with full length balls as adroitly as Saj Mahmood and Tom Smith.

Lancashire see their temporary exile from Old Trafford as giving them an edge in the title race. Apart from knowing how to get the best from wickets that generally produce results, they see the club ground setting as being to their advantage.

"We can make this a fortress," acting captain Mark Chilton said. "The facilities are fine and we are quite happy with them but it is a club ground and a lot of counties are not used to how it feels to play on a club ground. And we know how to get results here."