Somerset pile on the agony

Mike Burns and Rob Turner piled on the agony for Lancashire's weary bowlers on the third day of the County Championship match at Taunton.

The pair took their partnership to 176, the best ever seventh-wicket stand for Somerset in matches between the clubs, and paved the way for a 99-year-old record to be broken.

When the home side were finally bowled out for 565 it was the highest ever total made by Somerset against Lancashire, beating the 561 they managed at Bath way back in 1901.

It also meant a first innings lead of 326. By the close Lancashire had made 133-2 in their second innings and go into the final day still needing 193 to make their opponents bat again.

Resuming on 370-6, Somerset's first task was to score 30 runs in nine overs to collect a fifth batting point.

But after a brisk start Burns and Turner lost their way for a spell and fell agonisingly one run short of their initial target as the scoreboard read 399-6 at the end of the 130th over.

It was a sloppy error, but in their next objective of batting Lancashire out of the game the pair were much more successful.

By lunch they had taken the score to 520-6, with Burns just ten runs short of his third Championship century, having played with great assurance on a pitch offering the bowlers scant assistance.

He brought up his ton with a trademark cover drive for four off Sourav Ganguly in the afternoon session, having faced 150 deliveries and hit 14 boundaries.

The less fluent Turner fell for a season's best 75, somewhat harshly judged lbw pushing well forward to Ganguly, after a stand that had occupied 46 overs. The wicketkeeper had compiled his runs off 138 balls, with 11 fours.

Burns was eventually stumped for 108 - one short of his Championship best - as he advanced to try and hit Chris Schofield over the top.

Somerset's tail must have hardly felt needed and the last four wickets fell for just 28 runs. Joe Scuderi escaped the carnage to claim 4-58 from 27 overs, while Schofield took 3-82.

Then it was the turn of the home bowlers to struggle on the flattest of tracks as Mike Atherton and John Crawley put on 124 without looking in any trouble.

Atherton followed up his first innings century with 58 before having his off stump knocked back by a delivery from teenager Peter Trego that actually appeared to deviate off the seam.

Precious little else moved around and Crawley took the opportunity to score his first Championship half-century of the season off 106 balls, remaining unbeaten on 68 at the close.

By then Neil Fairbrother had departed, caught behind off Ian Blackwell for only a single in a tight stint of 22 overs from the left-arm spinner that cost only 34 runs and included nine maidens.

The two late successes raised Somerset victory hopes, but skipper Crawley will be backing his remaining partners to hold out on a surface that is making every wicket hard-earned.