Lancashire crashed out of the Twenty20 Cup in embarassing fashion today as seven of their eight deliveries in a bowl-out missed the unguarded wicket.

After their quarter-final with Somerset at Old Trafford was beaten by the weather for the third day in a row, the match was decided by a shoot-out, which the visitors won 5-1.

Lancashire bowled first after winning the toss and although rookie pace bowler Steven Cheetham struck with his team's first effort he missed his second attempt while VVS Laxman, Stephen Parry and Mark Chilton drew blanks.

For Somerset, Alfonso Thomas hit the target with both his deliveries while Peter Trego, Charl Willoughby and Ben Phillips all struck once.

The final bowlers for both sides were not needed. Somerset will now play Kent at finals day on 15 August at Edgbaston.

Tonight the last quarter-final sees Hampshire take on Northamptonshire.

Meanwhile, next year's county season will encompass just three competitions, the England and Wales Cricket Board have said.

There will still be the LV County Championship, an enhanced Twenty20 tournament to be played in June and July, but only a single one-day competition, to be played on Sundays.

ECB chairman Giles Clarke said: "We canvassed a wide range of opinion and everyone was behind the principle of the primacy of Test match and County Championship cricket."