Muralitharan sets up six wicket win for Lancashire

Lancashire completed their second consecutive Championship victory to climb to third in the First Division table and leave Leicestershire in the relegation zone.

They seemed in danger of being denied by the weather when there was no play before lunch. But Muttiah Muralitharan made short work of the Leicestershire tail when the visitors resumed on 208 for six, leaving Lancashire needing 162 off 46 overs.

James Ormond quickly fired out Mark Chilton but Mike Atherton cruised to 39 including a top-edged six over the wicket keeper off Ormond.

Then John Crawley and Andy Flintoff linked up in a third wicket stand of 67 in 15 overs.

Both were out with Lancashire on the brink of victory, Crawley for 50 and Flintoff for 43, but Neil Fairbrother and Joe Scuderi steered the Red Rose side to victory with six wickets and five overs to spare.

They took 17 points from the game, while Leicestershire claimed only three.

Earlier Peter Martin had broken Leicestershire's stubborn seventh wicket stand when he bowled Jon Dakin for 35 in the first over of the day.

Muralitharan then had both Carl Crowe and Darren Maddy snapped up by Atherton at backward short leg, with Maddy furious with himself after grafting for 150 minutes for 40; following his unbeaten 57 in 202 minutes in the first innings.

Muralitharan also picked up the last wicket of Ormond to end with six for 74 from 40 overs, his best figures of the season, while Martin was left with four for 64.