 Somerset made their debut in first @-@ class cricket against Lancashire on 8 June 1882 . The Western Daily Press noted that Somerset were not able to field a full @-@ strength team in the match , missing Evans , Ramsay and Roe . However , the Lancashire team which faced them was described by the same paper as being " very second @-@ rate " . The weather was showery most of the day , and play was abandoned at half five because of the rain , with Lancashire on 231 for 8 having won the toss and batted first . Heavy rain overnight made the ground unplayable on the second day , so play resumed the following day , although rain continued to threaten . The original wicket was badly damaged , being described in the York Herald as " a puddle " , and so the stumps were moved to enable play to begin . Somerset took the final two Lancashire wickets in the first ten minutes , bowling them out for 237 . Fowler and Sainsbury opened the batting for Somerset , and put on eighteen runs together before being dismissed in quick succession . The Western Daily Press recorded that " after this disaster waited on the visitors . " Only two other batsmen scored any runs for Somerset , and they were all out for 29 runs , the second lowest first @-@ class total at the time . Somerset followed @-@ on , and their second innings proceeded in much the same fashion as the first ; the pair scored 35 runs , while the rest of the team only added a further 6 . Somerset lost the match by an innings and 157 runs . The Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette defended Somerset 's performance on the third day slightly , noting that the poor condition of the pitch favoured the Lancashire bowlers . Lancashire 's George Nash took eight wickets in the first innings , including four in one four @-@ ball over , while fellow spin bowler Jack Crossland collected six in the second innings . 
