Last-ball victory for Lancashire Lightning at New Road

Lancashire gave themselves a chance of avoiding the ultimate collapse from the National League title to relegation in the space of 12 months with a last-ball victory over Worcestershire at New Road.

Veteran campaigner Ian Austin straight drove the winning boundary off Richard Illingworth to spoil a day of ovations for the former England spin bowler who has not been offered a contract for next season.

Illingworth, who hopes to continue his playing career elsewhere, might have been given a hero's reception if he had prevented Lancashire from scoring five runs in the final over, but his penultimate home match turned sour for Worcestershire.

They have fallen from title favourites to relegation contenders after seven matches without a win since they were running away at the top of the table after beating Somerset at Taunton in June.

The latest setback was unexpected when Lancashire lost their seventh wicket at 152, but Chris Schofield cleared the stage for Austin to become the matchwinner with a partnership of 42 in four overs with Glen Chapple.

Left hander Schofield hit 34 before he was bowled by Glenn McGrath, who again returned immaculate figures with two for 21 in nine overs as Lancashire struggled to keep in touch with Worcestershire's total of 188 for eight.

Mark Chilton and Neil Fairbrother managed to keep the bottom-of-the-table side afloat and and now the five-times champions need to win this week's games against Gloucestershire at Bristol tomorrow (Monday) and Somerset at Old Trafford on Wednesday before they meet fellow strugglers Sussex in the last match on September 17.

Both teams struggled to establish a consistent pattern in their batting on a slow pitch. Worcestershire lost wickets to Austin in his first two overs, then recovered with a first League half-century by Ryan Driver and finished strongly with an unbeaten 48 from Steve Rhodes in 33 balls.