Lancashire complete a 20 points win over Somerset

Lancashire completed a 20 points win over Somerset today which should clinch them runners-up place in the championship for the third year on the trot.

Theoretically Surrey need a point to retain the title when they visit Old Trafford on Wednesday for the final game of the season. But there is no way Lancashire can even dream of a 20-0 victory, as a first innings declaration by Adam Hollioake would foil them of bonus points.

But today Lancashire were happy enough with an innings and 109 runs over over Surrey - and a landmark for acting captain Warren Hegg.

The 32 years-old keeper took his catches tally to 635, a Lancashire record, beating the 634 of George Duckworth who played between the wars.

Hegg, who yesterday hit his first century in four years, passed Duckworth's milestone by claiming the first three catches today, the third ending a defiant innings by left-hander Ian Blackwell who slammed two sixes and five fours in his 37 before top-edging an attempted hook off Glen Chapple.

Michael Burns and Graham Rose had already fallen to Lancashire's potent seam attack and Somerset's last chance of survival disappeared when Peter Bowler, on 75, was snapped up off bat and pad off left-arm spinner Gary Keedy's first over.

Jason Kerr followed Blackwell's example but tried one big shot too many off leg-spinner Chris Schofield and only lunch further delayed Lancashire, the lastwicket falling nine balls after the interval when Steffan Jones was run out.