What would happen if a top cricket team took on a pro baseball team – at baseball?

We found out on Saturday when Somerset, 2008 county championship challengers came out swinging against Great Britain's baseball team, runners-up in last year’s European championships.

And the answer to the question is: the cricket team would be absolutely hammered.

Taunton’s County Ground staged the sport for the first time in its 126-year history as part of Marcus Trescothick’s benefit year. No expense was spared, with 18 tons of baseball dirt imported to create bases and a pitcher’s mound and main sponsors Subway kitting out Marcus’ Bangers in authentic pinstripe uniforms.

Channel 5 baseball anchorman Jonny Gould was also on hand to talk fans through the action.

The pre-match build-up had touted Alec Stewart, Simon Jones, Robert Croft and Graeme Hick as among participants. Lazy Cricinfo, apparently copying their report of the event from pre-match info on Somerset's website, would later report erroneously Croft and Hick’s playing.

In fact, the home team was Somerset minus Justin Langer , with Ashes-winning heroes Ashley Giles and Geraint Jones added to the mix.

The baseball proved to be as baffling to the uninitiated as cricket must be to its non-converts - even Trez's players seemed slightly off-kilter with regard to tactics.

On several occasions the Bangers’ fielding was charmingly naïve, with the applause for deep catches milked when a swift throw to a base would easily claim another victim.

At one time the King of Spain looked set to become the prince of pitching, emerging from the first innings with a zero earned run average (ERA.) “Anything below three is considered good,” announced Gould to impressed gasps.

However, after a torrid 37-pitch second innings – little of which was Gilo’s fault – the Wheelybin’s ERA had wandered outward to 13.5. Not so good.

Despite the potential for crossover skills, Somerset were hopelessly outclassed. Even Trescothick, whose cricket style many have compared to that of a baseball batter, did not make the transition comfortably.

A scampering Geraint Jones scored the Bangers' only run to the rapturous applause of the 100-strong crowd, in a 21-1 mauling, before the inclement weather prompting the ninth innings’ scratching.

While most left with no greater grasp of this engaging game, the real mystery must be why it hasn’t been given a go before.

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