Lancashire crumble to heavy defeat against Worcestershire

Worcestershire crushed Lancashire by 109 runs under the Old Trafford floodlights to move four points clear at the top of the Norwich Union Second Division.

The Royals compiled a daunting total of 236 for five in their 45 overs thanks mainly to a League-best 80 from opener Anurag Singh.

Lancashire had slumped to 63 for five in reply even before the Old Trafford floodlights had taken effect and were all out for 127, with three wickets each for Kabir Ali and David Leatherdale.

Graeme Hick won the toss for the Royals and chose to bat, but they lost Phil Weston in the 11th over, lbw to Peter Martin.

Hick looked in good form as he struck two boundaries but he was then run out after a mix-up with Singh, giving Lancashire the wicket they wanted.

But Singh made amends in a third-wicket stand of 71 in 17 overs with Vikram Solanki.

Solanki, Worcestershire's leading scorer this season, took his tally to 293 with a classy 45 from 52 balls including four fours and a flicked six off Gary Keedy.

Keedy claimed some revenge when he had Solanki caught by John Crawley at cover, but David Leatherdale then came in to hit a quick 24 including another six off Keedy.

And Australian all-rounder Andy Bichel then provided extra acceleration in the closing overs, ending unbeaten on 36 from 24 balls with a six and four fours.

Singh was the last man out, stumped off Chris Schofield in the 44th over after ending a poor run of form which had brought him only 65 in eight National League innings this season.

Schofield had been the unlucky bowler when Singh survived a stumping chance on 30 in the 22nd over, but otherwise the 25-year-old played sensibly and hit eight fours in a new League best off 121 balls, beating the 74 he scored in his Warwickshire days.

Lancashire were soon in trouble when they replied, with Bichel having Mark Chilton caught behind.

But it was Kabir Ali who fired the crucial blow, trapping Amdy Flintoff and John Crawley lbw with consecutive balls.

Glen Chapple did his best for Lancashire with 34 from 47 balls but he also went lbw to Ali, who ended with three for 37 from his nine overs.

And Leatherdale took three of the last four wickets at a cost of only 11 runs to virtually end Lancashire's hopes of bouncing straight back to the First Division.