July 22, 2006	Saturday	Jumadi-ul-Sani 25, 1427

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LONDON, July 21: Justin Langer broke legendary West Indies batsman Viv Richards's Somerset record score when he made 342 against Surrey at Guildford in the County Championship on Thursday.

Australia opener Langer resumed on his overnight score of 234 not out but, after more than 10 hours at the crease, was eventually dimissed when he was caught at long-on by Neil Sarkar off former England leg-spinner Ian Salisbury.

In all the 35-year-old left-hander faced 416 balls with two sixes and 43 fours after passing Richards's 322, Somerset's previous highest individual score.

The West Indian set his mark in 1985 against Warwickshire at Taunton.

On Wednesday Langer, in what was set to be his final match in England before returning home, broke the highest ever individual score at Guildford, beating the previous best of 228 recorded by Darren Bicknell in 1995.

Langer was just a boundary away from beating Charlie McCartney's 345 for the Australians against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge in 1921, the record score by an Australian in England, when he was dismissed.

Langer's was the tenth highest score in all first-class cricket in England.

Close of play scores on Thursday:

County Championship (second day of four unless stated):

First Division:

At Southgate: SUSSEX 507 (C.J. Adams 115, M.H. Yardy 97, M.W. Goodwin 69, Yasir Arafat 67; C.E.W. Silverwood 4-84); MIDDLESEX 344-4 (O.A. Shah 85, E.T. Smith 75, E.C. Joyce 68, S.B. Styris 54 not out).

At Scarborough: WARWICKSHIRE 201 (H.H. Streak 68 not out; J.N. Gillespie 4-52); YORKSHIRE 536 (A. Gale 149, G. Brophy 97, J. Sayers 72, M.G. Lumb 57; P. Harris 5-134, N. Carter 4-101).

At Canterbury (third day of four): LANCASHIRE 218 (G. Cross 72, S.G. Law 53; T. Henderson 4-29) and 436 (M.B. Loye 98, S.G. Law 85, N.J. Astle 84, G. Chapple 50; A. Khan 4-129); KENT 440 (M.J. Walker 197, D.J.J. Bravo 76) and 3-0.

Second Division:

At Worcester (first day of four): WORCESTERSHIRE 271 (V.S. Solanki 60; J. Lewis 6-77); GLOUCESTERSHIRE 115-2 (H.J.H. Marshall 56 not out).

At Chelmsford (second day of four): GLAMORGAN 474 (M.J. Powell 202, D. Harrison 64, M. Wallace 64; D. Gough 4-104); ESSEX 154-4 (G.W. Flower 53 not out).

At Leicester (second day of four): DERBYSHIRE 386 (Hassan Adnan 117, D. Pipe 89, M.J. North 80; S.C.J. Broad 5-89); LEICESTERSHIRE 333-6 (H.D. Ackerman 79, J.K. Maunders 64, J.N. Snape 53 not out).

At Guildford (second day of four): SOMERSET 688-8 declared (J.L. Langer 342, N. Edwards 77, A. Suppiah 71, M. Wood 54); SURREY 173-2 (M.R. Ramprakash 66 not out).—AFP