MATCH PREVIEW: Lancashire v Somerset, Vitality County Championship
This fixture has ramifications at both ends of the Division One table, with relegation-threatened Lancashire taking on a Somerset side aiming for their first ever Championship title.
Lancashire v Somerset
Vitality County Championship, Division One
Tuesday September 17 - Friday September 20, 2024
Emirates Old Trafford
Lancashire sit second-bottom in the table, 11 points behind Nottinghamshire with two rounds remaining and 48 points available to play for.
Second-placed Somerset, meanwhile, are eight points behind leaders Surrey, who they beat at Taunton last week. Amazingly, the Taunton county have never won the County Championship and are aiming to curtail Surrey’s bid for a third successive crown.
The Red Rose are desperate to end a run of three straight defeats.
Notts, meanwhile, travel to bottom side Kent this week.
Opposition
Somerset have had an up and down week.
After their stunning Championship win over Surrey at Taunton, who they bowled out for 109 chasing 221 on the final day, they were then beaten in the final of the Vitality Blast by local rivals Gloucestershire at Edgbaston on Saturday.
Coached by Boltonian Jason Kerr, they are captained by all-rounder Lewis Gregory.
They are without an overseas player at present.
Somerset have won five of their 12 matches so far, but they will almost certainly be without their leading run-scorer Tom Banton, who has totalled 891 runs.
He suffered an ankle injury whilst playing football in the warm-ups against Surrey last week and missed Finals Day. Kerr said it was “pretty serious”.
England left-arm spinner Jack Leach is their leading wicket-taker with 35, including 26 in the last three rounds of fixtures.
Opposing player to watch
England Under 19s batting all-rounder Archie Vaughan enjoyed a stunning first-class debut last week when he opened the batting with 44 in the first innings against league leaders Surrey at Taunton before claiming 11 wickets with his off-spinners.
Set that final day target of 221, Surrey were batting out for the draw comfortably, happy to protect a healthy lead at the top rather than chase victory.
The game was drifting midway through the evening session on Thursday, with the visitors 95-3.
But 18-year-old Vaughan and fellow spinner Jack Leach, the England Test left-armer, finished with five wickets apiece to bowl Surrey out for 109 and open things up at the top.
Having taken 6-102 in the first innings, Vaughan added 5-38 in the second.
Archie is the son of former England captain Michael. He was born in Sheffield but educated at Millfield School in Taunton, hence his links to the West Country county, where he was on their Academy.
He played six times in the Metro Bank One-Day through late July and into August.
Previous meeting
This week’s fixture is the only meeting of the season between these two counties.
They played out a mid-May draw at Emirates Old Trafford last season, one affected by rain.
Youngster James Rew hit a fine middle order 105 to underpin his side’s 361 all out after they had been inserted, with Will Williams claiming 3-71 from 30 overs and debutant Daryl Mitchell 3-32 from 13 overs.
New ball partner Jimmy Anderson also returned 2-16 from 14 overs, but his impact was limited due to a groin strain which meant he didn’t bat as the Red Rose responded with 326 all out through to day three. New ball seamers Craig Overton and Matt Henry claimed four wickets apiece for Somerset.
Just like Rew, Lancashire overseas batting all-rounder Daryl Mitchell - on debut for the county - hit a superb 105.
Lancashire then gave themselves a sniff of victory.
Somerset started day four on 114-3, a lead of 149. And they slipped to 206-5 with two sessions remaining. Quick afternoon wickets would have set up a fascinating chase.
As it was, Rew and all-rounder Kasey Aldridge shared an unbroken sixth-wicket 192 to end such hopes. Rew’s 118 not out represented his second century of the match, while Aldridge’s unbeaten 101 was a career first. Somerset finished on 398-5 declared.
What they said
Keaton Jennings has given another rallying cry after his Lancashire side reached the point of no return in their bid to preserve their Division One future.
The Red Rose desperately need a result against title-chasing Somerset at Emirates Old Trafford this week. If they suffer a fourth straight defeat, they could find themselves relegated come Friday night.
Before Durham last week, Jennings spoke passionately about the need for players to stand up and be counted. And ahead of Somerset, Jennings reiterated that message.
“It’s got to come from within,” said the opener. “Guys have got to stand up, front up and ultimately do the business come the next eight days of cricket because it’s a big eight days to make sure we try and stay in this division.”
There weren’t many positives out of the defeat to Durham, but Jennings did praise the debutant Anderson Phillip, the West Indian fast bowler who has come in for the final three games of the season.
Phillip claimed 2-101 from 21 overs before hitting 41 down the order in the second innings to delay defeat on Thursday’s final day.
Jennings added: “On Anderson, the energy he showed with that new ball, end of day one or two or whenever it was was sensational. He ran in unbelievably hard. He’s really put in.
“And as far as a debut goes - the result didn’t go our way - but he’s put in and shown the effort.
“I chatted to a few of his mates back home, and everybody said the dedication, the care and the passion that he shows and the hard work he puts in is second to none.”