da bet7： Lancashire completed a 20 points win over Somerset today which should clinchthem runners-up place in the championship for the third year on the trot
Colin Evans10-Sep-2000Lancashire completed a 20 points win over Somerset today which should clinchthem 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 OldTrafford on Wednesday for the final game of the season. But there is no wayLancashire can even dream of a 20-0 victory, as a first innings declarationby Adam Hollioake would foil them of bonus points.But today Lancashire were happy enough with an innings and 109 runs overover Surrey – and a landmark for acting captain Warren Hegg.The 32 years-old keeper took his catches tally to 635, a Lancashirerecord, 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 potentseam attack and Somerset’s last chance of survival disappeared when PeterBowler, on 75, was snapped up off bat and pad off left-arm spinner GaryKeedy’s first over.Jason Kerr followed Blackwell’s example but tried one big shot too manyoff leg-spinner Chris Schofield and only lunch further delayed Lancashire,the lastwicket falling nine balls after the interval when Steffan Jones wasrun out.