LANCASHIRE faced a fight for survival in their last Championship game of the season at Taunton today.

They had the worst of an action-packed first day when 16 wickets tumbled.

Pitch inspector Peter Walker put it down to high class swing bowling rather than any defects in the pitch.

First Peter Martin continued his successful testimonial season with 4-52, taking his tally to 49 despite missing three games through injury.

Kyle Hogg marked his return to championship action after a long break with two wickets in successive overs and there were two more for the prolific Jimmy Adamson.

But after firing out Somerset for 221 Lancashire stumbled into trouble.

Tim Rees, the 18-year-old Bolton schoolboy, making his championship debut, stuck to the crease longer than anyone in making 16.

Rees can be proud of the way he handled a tough situation, going to the crease at 21-3 and he can now look forward to being offered a place on Lancashire's new Academy.

Matthew Bulbeck and Richard Johnson caused the damage as Lancashire slumped to 88-6.

Mark Chilton was beaten by an unplayable ball which clipped his off stump and Rees was lbw, pinned on the back foot.

Stuart Law looked unhappy with his verdict after being taken in the slips, the Aussie obviously wondering whether the ball had carried and Alec Swann crashed back into the dressing room, showing his frustration with an lbw dismissal.

But generally this was a familiar sort of collapse from a Lancashire side who have lacked batting cohesion all summer.