Chapple lines up Lancashire

Leicestershire 259 and 287 Lancashire 479 and 68-3 Lancashire win by seven wickets

Lancashire duly completed a seven-wicket victory over Leicestershire, and in doing so in such comprehensive fashion warned Surrey and Sussex that the Championship is more than a southern dogfight.

At the start of play they needed eight wickets, not a certainty on a reasonable pitch, but a probing opening spell by the ever-willing Glen Chapple, combining swing with accuracy of line and length, dismissed Brad Hodge and Trevor Ward early.

The greatest resistance came from John Maunders but, having reached his career best, he was needlessly run out after a mix-up with Paul Nixon, his desperate dive failing to beat Alec Swann's throw to the bowler. The rest were a procession, interspersed with some decent shots that pleased the eye but never threatened Lancashire's stranglehold.

Nixon clipped well, as did Jeremy Snape, but it looks dire for Leicestershire. Phil DeFreitas has never ceased trying, indeed has excelled, as his nine wickets in this match demonstrate, but too many wickets are carelessly lost and the bowling is toothless.

The arrival of Vasbert Drakes to replace Virender Sehwag should at least make the bowling more incisive, especially as Devon Malcolm regains match fitness, but it could be too little, too late.

Lancashire, in contrast, are only 31 points behind leaders Surrey with a game in hand, and, importantly, they have to play second-placed Sussex twice and Surrey once.

"We are not looking at it too hard at the moment but yes, we have six games left and three of those could be double-pointers," admitted Mike Watkinson, Lancashire's cricket manager.

And they could be closer. Surrey have won five matches and Sussex six, but this was only Lancashire's third victory, the vagaries of the weather having pursued them around the country.

"This year we have lost a lot of play, on average 102 overs a match," explained Watkinson, "and in most of those we've been well placed. Only Kent at Blackpool had the better of us, and there we fought back for a draw.

"The best thing has been the dressing room. The new players, like Mal Loye and Carl Hooper, have fitted in very well. Last season was a trans-ition, we tried to create a good atmosphere and we came fourth, so this year we could do better." With three of six matches left at Old Trafford, including both main rivals, they could do a whole lot better.