Lancashire capitulate as Somerset take control.

Alex Davies made 62 in Lancashire's first
innings from 152 balls. 

Lancashire finished the third day of the County Championship match against Somerset on 95-3 after they were bowled for 203 and forced to follow on by the visitors. 

Alex Davies made a determined 62 in Lancashire's first innings, but the hosts lost their last eight wickets for 120 runs as Somerset's bowlers prospered to enhance their cause for victory.

Lancashire's second innings became a continuation of the first after they had stumbled to 45-3 after being forced to follow on, but an unbeaten stand worth 52 runs between Andrea Agathangelou (46*) and Karl Brown (22*) ensured that the hosts would not suffer any more setbacks.

In spite of Lancashire's resolve,  it was a day largely dominated by the Somerset bowlers, with Peter Trego, Craig Overton and George Dockrell all claiming three wickets in the first innings. 

Resuming on 22-2 after heavy rain had curtailed the second day, Lancashire knew that they needed to apply themselves and a 78-run stand between Davies and Ashwell Prince (45) steered the hosts away from danger.

But Lancashire have been renowned for batting collapses this season and continued this trend by losing their next two wickets in quick succession. Just as Prince was approaching his half-century he was bowled by Overton and Brown added just nine in his first stay at the crease as Lancashire fell to 103-4.

Somerset continue to rifle through the Lancashire batsmen, but Steven Croft's dismissal can be attributed to a rush of blood to the head, rather than a misjudgement of superb bowling. He had played with played an aggressive temperament before dancing down the pitch, only to be stumped for 20 off Dockrell.

His 42-run partnership with Davies edged Lancashire towards a respectable total, but the removal of Croft instigated a batting collapse of significant proportions, as the hosts lost their last six wickets for 58 runs. Davies had earlier registered only his second first-class fifty, but with the score at 153-5 he was removed by Trego (3-37).

Two runs later Glen Chapple was also dismissed by Trego and Kyle Hogg supplied Dockrell (3-44) with his third scalp as the hosts struggled to reach 200. Overton had only managed to claim one wicket in this innings before he was able to inflict damage to Lancashire's late revival, as he finished with 3-37.

Tom Smith (15), Kabir Ali (16) and Simon Kerrigan (18) all made useful contributions to ensure that Lancashire would register one batting point, but it was not enough to deny Somerset the opportunity to enforce the follow-on. 

The visitors relished in Lancashire's misery and Trego (3-25) claimed all three second-innings wickets to enhances Somerset's superiority. Both of Lancashire's openers were trapped lbw as first innings top-scorer, Davies, was only able to add five runs and Paul Horton made just 11, with Lancashire restricted to 21-2.

With an innings defeat looming, Lancashire were dealt another blow when the reliable Prince was caught behind off Trego for seven, but any threat of a humiliating defeat was averted by Agathangelou and Brown who thwarted the attempts of Somerset's confident bowling attack.

Heavy rain is scheduled for the final day and although this will please Lancashire, this is not a position they will want to keep finding themselves in. Rain has certainly restricted their progress this season, but praying for rain is unlikely to save them from relegation unless their batting improves.