Keedy sends Warwickshire spinning

Lancashire 317 (Law 121, Sutcliffe 69) and 84 for 3 (Law 31*) beat Warwickshire 173 (Frost 63, Cork 6-53) and 225 (Knight 80, Keedy 6-81) by seven wickets
Scorecard

Lancashire jumped to the summit of the Championship table with a seven-wicket victory at Edgbaston. Midway through the afternoon session Warwickshire were threatening to make a game of it as they went into the lead with just two wickets down. However, after an indifferent start, Gary Keedy ran through the middle and lower as the last eight wickets falling for 53 runs.

The day had been touted as one where Warwickshire would be unable to combat a tricky surface, especially once spin came into the attack. The Lancashire seamers only made a single breakthrough - Tom Smith shifting Ian Westwood after a solid opening of 65 - then it was the turn of the tweakers.

Match-winning performances by English spinners will always catch the eye. Monty Panesar's promising start to his Test career has given England another option as they wait for Ashley Giles to recover - a process that is taking shape after he bowled on the outfield during this match - but Keedy continues to do everything he can to keep his name in the ring. The recent selection of Shaun Udal, Jon Lewis and Glen Chapple has shown that age is does not have to be a major factor. Keedy takes wickets, plenty of them, and not just on helpful surfaces.

But while it was Keedy who produced a display that has become a regular occurrence on the county scene it was his unheralded spin partner, Brad Hodge, who made the vital incision to halt Warwickshire's fightback in its tracks. Introduced as the sixth option by Mark Chilton, Hodge struck in his third over when Nick Knight shouldered arms and the ball drifted in a hit offstump after a gritty 80. This broke a stand of 76 with Jonathan Trott, a period which had been Warwickshire's most convincing batting of the match - although there wasn't a lot to compete with.

Knight's departure gave an opening for Keedy and he didn't need a second invitation. He had removed Mark Wagh before lunch, caught low at short-leg via bat and pad, but wasn't quite at his best as he dropped too short and was punished by Knight and Trott. However, he wasn't about to let a part-time spinner overshadow him and claimed four leg befores on the bounce to dispatch the middle-order.

Trott was back when he should have been forward, Dougie Brown bagged a pair when he was square-up by a peach of a delivery that turned sharply, Moeen Ali padded up to one than spun back and Jim Troughton went to far across his stumps. But as much as it was pleasing to watch an English spinner do the damage, the ability of another middle order of mainly Englishmen (Trott is nearly qualified) against spin was less promising..

Hodge claimed Heath Streak, through a sharp snaffle at silly point, and James Anyon, sweeping, to take his best figures in county cricket then Keedy broke a stubborn final-wicket stand of 29 to finish with a six-wicket haul. Yesterday evening Stuart Law had tipped Hodge to have a major role in the second innings and he got it spot on. He tied the batsmen down - conceding just 21 runs in 16 overs - and showed impressive confidence to flight the ball considering his Championship bowling before this match consisted of eight overs.

Chasing 82, Lancashire didn't quite surge towards victory as Streak produced defiant spell and cleaned up Iain Sutcliffe with an inswinger and shifted Mark Chilton. But Hodge, who will shortly be lost to Australia A duty, completed a fine day in partnership with Stuart Law as the Aussies guided their team to 20 points.

Warwickshire have played half their Championship matches for the season and there are some clear problems within the team. The batting isn't firing, the bowling lacks firepower and there is some disquiet behind the scenes which is always worse when a side is losing. Lancashire, though, move onwards and upwards and now have a six point lead over Sussex. If they continue to play with the confidence on show here, they won't be far off the pace in the final standings.