County Championship: Jack Morley takes first ‘five-for’ but Lancs draw with Somerset at Southport

Jack Morley’s previous career-best was his 4-62 against Derbyshire on his Lancashire debut at Aigburth in September 2020 LV= County Championship Division One, Trafalgar Road, Southport (day four) Somerset 446: Goldsworthy 130, Rew 70; Williams 3-85 & 213-7: Goldsworthy 73*, Morley 5-69 Lancashire 624-9 dec: Jennings 318, Wells 109, Bohannon 91; Van der Merwe 5-174, Renshaw 3-29 Match Drawn. Lancashire 15 pts, Somerset 11 pts Match scorecard

Young Lancashire spinner Jack Morley’s best first class figures of 5-69 were not enough to force victory on a tense final day at Trafalgar Road as Somerset held on for their first County Championship Division One draw of the season.

Keaton Jennings’ gargantuan 318 had allowed the hosts to declare overnight on 624-9, leaving Somerset to bat beyond Lancashire’s lead of 178 if they were to save the game.

Despite some nervy moments facing Morley, they survived, reaching 213-7, and now leading by 35, with seven overs left, Lancashire skipper Dane Vilas called time on proceedings, as the Red Rose settled for 15 points to Somerset’s 11.

Earlier in the day neither Tom Bailey nor Will Williams were able to make the breakthrough with the new ball, forcing Vilas to turn quickly to slow left-armer Morley, who was rewarded when Matt Renshaw drove straight back to the bowler.

Morley struck again four overs later when Rob Jones took a sharp leg slip catch to dismiss Steven Davies for 11 to leave Somerset 32-2.

George Bartlett was next to go when he stepped across his stumps and was trapped in front to leave Somerset 74-3 at lunch.

Tom Lammonby then became Morley’s fourth wicket after lunch on 33 when he attempted a reverse sweep and the ball found Keaton Jennings at short leg via the batter’s glove.

But Lewis Goldsworthy and James Rew came together and dropped anchor for the rest of the day’s middle session against Morley and the part-time spin of Luke Wells and Steven Croft.

Morley’s fifth wicket straight after tea that renewed Red Rose hopes when Rew was caught at short leg by Jennings for 23 from 111 balls, having put .on 80 with first-innings centurion Goldsworthy.

Any thoughts that the game was safe ended with the dismissal of Lewis Gregory who drove straight to Josh Bohannon at cover for 25 to leave the score 189-6 and Somerset with a slender lead of 11 runs, then Roelof van der Merwe departed fending off Luke Wood to Jennings.

But there was to be no last minute twist to the plot as Goldsworthy steered the ship towards dock, as he completed a personal run tally of 203 in the match.

The two sides could now meet again on Saturday at the T20 Blast Finals Day in Birmingham when Lancashire face Yorkshire in the first semi-final at Edgbaston – and Somerset play Hampshire in the second.

Report supplied by ECB Reporters Network