THE debate over the pitch used in Somerset's remarkable County Championship tie with Lancashire shows no sign of letting up.

Somerset's first tied Championship match since 1939 was concluded shortly after tea on the second day, with the ECB's Cricket Liaison Officer Dean Cosker due to make a judgement on the surface within the next five days.

READ MORE: Report - Somerset tie dramatic match with Lancashire

Having had one "below average" mark last season, another such ranking for this wicket is likely to bring sanctions for Somerset, possibly in the form of a points deduction.

The sides took differing views on the pitch when interviewed after the game, with Lancashire captain Liam Livingstone describing it as "worse than a club wicket" but Somerset spinner Jack Leach claiming that "we shouldn't shy away from pitches like that."

Here is how the camps responded when asked about the pitch...

Somerset director of cricket Andy Hurry

“I am feeling as hugely disappointed as the players are in our dressing room. With a couple of exceptions, neither team applied themselves with the bat and we certainly didn’t in our final innings chasing down only 78.

“There was a combination of good bowling and not very clever batting, which was the case throughout the match. Very few players on either side could find a way of scoring runs.

“Paul Allott is entitled to his view about the pitch, as are 5,000 people who have watched a really entertaining game of cricket over two days. We didn’t ask our groundsman to prepare a turning wicket and the fact is that batsmen on both sides failed to come up with a method to play on that surface.

“I have not spoken to the Cricket Liaison Officer, but we will be informed of his report in the next few days. I have not seen evidence of excessive spin throughout the game, which there would need to be for the pitch to be deemed below average.

“Whatever happens, the result is a huge blow to our hopes of winning the title. There is so much riding on every game and that’s what makes today so disappointing.”

Lancashire director of cricket Paul Allott

"It was a hugely dramatic game, although I am not sure how good it was. What it has done is caught people’s attention and put County Championship cricket in the spotlight.

“The pitch, in my view, was certainly below average and could have been rated poor on the ECB scale. It was disappointing to be confronted by those conditions, but we produced a stunning performance in the field this afternoon to come out of a game we were behind in on level terms.

“Spin won the day, but if you can’t turn a ball on that wicket there isn’t much hope for you. It was a loose and dusty surface, which you would expect bowlers of international calibre to perform on as well as they did,

“It is not for me to say whether Somerset should be docked points. There is a due process that will be followed by the Cricket Liaison Officer and it is up to him how he views the pitch.

“If he rates it below average it will be the second one at Taunton to receive that rating in the last 12 months and in that event there is another process to follow.”

Somerset spinner Jack Leach

“Those are the kind of wickets I like bowling on. I feel I know what I’m going to do on those wickets.

"It did spin and it [the wicket] actually got better through the game – yesterday it was a bit damp and the ball stuck in and spun more. First thing this morning it felt like a decent wicket and was easier to bat on. It was definitely a spinning wicket but it had periods where it was easier.

"I think I’ve definitely bowled on wickets that were spinning more than that. If you look at some of the batting through the game it hasn’t been particularly good.

"I think it says a lot about how we play spin in England. As soon as it starts to spin people say 'this isn't right'. Batsmen panic, play more shots and don't play the ball on merit.

“We shouldn't shy away from playing on wickets like that. They came here fully equipped with a Test spinner [Keshav Maharaj] and Parky [Matt Parkinson], a young leggie with a big future.

"Both teams were well equipped and it was a great game of cricket. Playing on those kind of wickets will hopefully help bring players through to be better in those conditions.

“Games end in three days quite often, Test matches finish in four days – that’s how cricket works. That can’t be helped and that’s the way it’s gone.

"The reason it has finished inside two days is that, actually, both teams haven’t batted particularly well. That’s cricket, and that’s the way it goes sometimes. That’s why the paying public haven’t got a game to come and watch tomorrow.”

Lancashire captain Liam Livingstone

"I played in two club games at the weekend and both wickets were better than that.

"It's a shame. Fans come here and pay their money to see entertaining cricket, which they have seen, but whether matches like that are good for the game is not for me to say.

"It's not ideal to feel in a position where you are confident you can defend 80 on a day two wicket in a First Class game.

"We are trying to develop world-class cricketers and I'm not sure pitches like that help.

"The way Lewis [Gregory] played on the first day showed us that it was probably better just to take a few risks when batting on it.

"Take nothing away from Leachy, he bowled very well and knows how to bowl on this wicket."