Records tumble for Langer

Justin Langer © Getty Images

Australia batsman Justin Langer was the star of the show as Somerset made their highest total against Surrey at Guildford.

The west country side racked up a score of 688 for eight declared with Langer contributing 342, a personal high water mark and the highest total by a Somerset batsman in the county’s history.

Surrey were 173 for two in reply, needing a further 366 runs to avoid the prospect of being asked to follow-on.

But the day undoubtedly belonged to Langer.

The 35-year-old batted for 618 minutes, faced 416 balls and hit 43 fours and two sixes.

In so doing, he beat Viv Richards’ Somerset record of 322 against Warwickshire set at Taunton in 1985.

The home side then struggled, initially, losing Jonathan Batty in the 10th over, when he was caught at third slip, and Scott Newman just after tea when the left-hander fended at a ball from Charl Willoughby.

Mark Ramprakash and Mark Butcher ensured there were no further mishaps as far as the Brown Caps were concerned.

Ramprakash passed 50 for the 11th time this summer in the championship, in 91 balls, when he drove Willoughby through cover for his ninth four just before the close.

Earlier in the day, resuming on 442 for two, Somerset added 246 to their overnight score before declaring when Andy Caddick was caught at long-on.

Langer cover drove the first boundary of day two to take him past his previous highest score in the championship of 241 not out, which he made for Middlesex against Kent in 1999.

The first ball he received from Rikki Clarke beat the bat, but later in the same over the Aussie left-hander reached his 250 in 310 deliveries.

Matthew Wood’s first boundary of the day came off an edge that landed just in front of second slip, but he collected two fours through extra cover off Azhar Mahmood to reach his 50, which took 106 balls.

Three overs later, however, Wood was walking back to the pavilion after playing away from his body to Clarke. His partnership with Langer was worth 115 in 30 overs.

Cameron White was run out when he cut Ian Salisbury to backward point, where Alistair Brown tumbled, gathered the ball, sat up and threw it in to Surrey wicketkeeper Batty, all in one movement.

Half an hour before lunch Langer posted his career best, beating the 274 he made for Western Australia against South Australia in 1996-97, when he cut Salisbury to deep point for two. In the last over before the break, the veteran of 100 Tests reached his triple century off 364 balls.

The ninth over after lunch saw the introduction of Brown to the attack. John Francis was out to the part-time off-spinner’s third ball, bowled round his legs, and Peter Trego went to Brown’s fourth, when he was caught at backward point.

Langer passed Richards’ county record with a dabbed four to the point boundary off Neil Saker.

In the 157th over of the innings the tough left-hander saw his side past their previous highest total away from home with a pull through wide mid-on off Brown.

But in Salisbury's second over back, Langer lofted a catch to mid-on. His 342 was just 24 runs shy of the highest individual score against Surrey - Neil Fairbrother’s 366 for Lancashire at The Oval in 1990.

Brown was the most successful of Surrey’s bowlers, with a career-best 3-25.