Despite four wickets from Gary Keedy, they allowed Somerset to recover from 199 for five to 385 for nine in the top three Championship match - already a handy first innings lead of 61.

This on an Old Trafford pitch which was already offering plenty of turn to the spinners.

In fairness, neither Keedy nor Chris Schofield bowled badly.

But neither of them is Murali, who had spun Lancashire to victories in their last two Championship games at Old Trafford against Leicestershire and Essex.

It looked as though Lancashire would fire out an impressive message to the rest of the First Division as Keedy took two wickets before lunch, and added the important scalp of former Baxenden amateur Peter Bowler shortly after the break, one of three catches for Schofield in the gully.

But Warren Hegg - captaining the team with John Crawley still away following his family bereavement - was frustrated by Somerset wicket keeper Rob Turner, who grafted to a painstaking 72 in almost four hours. He was supported first by Keith Dutch and then by former Derbyshire spinner Ian Blackwell, who struck 12 boundaries in an entertaining 64.

Glen Chapple broke the Dutch-Turner partnership, his only wicket of the day as he was unable to follow his batting heroics with a similar effort with the ball.

And late in the day John Wood took the second new ball to bowl Blackwell.

Schofield then ran out Richard Johnson with a direct hit and collected his third gully catch off Keedy to finally send back Turner, but Somerset were still in a good position.