Aussies punished as ex Test opener slams triple ton

Former England opener Keaton Jennings has racked up a career-best score of 318 in a county match for Lancashire, joining the elite band who have recorded triple tons in the English first-class game.

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Jennings helped himself on a peach of a batting wicket against Somerset in Southport, scoring the fourth-highest individual total by any Lancashire batter in history and the best by any Lancashire player in 32 years.

He finished with 318 from 426 balls, his innings including 28 fours and four sixes.

It's the equal 18th highest score ever in the County Championship and the equal highest since Kevin Pietersen scored 355 not out for Surrey in 2015.

A century from his teammate Luke Wells also helped set up a potentially thrilling final day as Lancashire pushed for victory at Trafalgar Road on Wednesday.

After Wells moved quickly to three figures from his overnight score of 99, the focus of the day became Jennings, who dominated the visitors' increasingly ragged attack.

Lancashire's advantage could turn into a match-winning one if an overnight declaration follows after they closed day three on 9-624, a lead of 178.

At lunch, Lancashire were 1-271 but, if that made unhappy enough reading for Somerset's attack, worse was to follow in the middle session as the hosts scored an improbable 176 from 32 overs as they secured maximum batting points.

Jennings put on 221 for the second wicket with Josh Bohannon (91), a record at Trafalgar Road that will live long in the memory of those who were there.

Jennings powered on, his extraordinary innings ending in the final over of the day after 426 balls and 582 minutes when the opener holed out to Australian Peter Siddle at long off for 318 off Roelof van der Merwe, who finished with 5-174.

Unusually, Siddle went wicketless for the day and finished 0-79 off his 21 overs.

Fellow Australian Matt Renshaw had more luck, however, jagging three wickets from five overs of part-time off-spin.

Elsewhere, England Test wicketkeeper Ben Foakes' unbeaten 86 and Rory Burns' 132 have given Championship leaders Surrey an outside chance of victory against Yorkshire in Scarborough.

Surrey, replying to a first-innings 521, ensured only a six-run deficit with 20 overs remaining before Yorkshire's second innings reached the close at 2-65 after two late Jamie Overton wickets.

Second-placed Hampshire are on course to close to within a point if Surrey draw as they trail by only 59 runs against Warwickshire, who have one second-innings wicket remaining.

Essex cruised to a third consecutive Championship win, by nine wickets over Gloucestershire at Chelmsford, where Simon Harmer took 8-112 to finish with match figures of 13 for 156.