Dakin shines for Leicestershire at Old Trafford

Jon Dakin was Leicestershire's all-round star on a third day of twists and turns at Old Trafford.

The 28-year-old all-rounder took season's best figures of four for 53 as Lancashire slumped from 264 for five to 292 all out, and a first innings lead of only 90.

Then, after Muttiah Muralitharan and Peter Martin had each taken three wickets to reduce Leicestershire to 156 for six in their second innings, Dakin joined the patient Darren Maddy to hit 31 in an unbroken seventhwicket stand of 52 which gives them a lead of 118 going into the last day.

The day had started with Neil Fairbrother completing his second century of the season and his third in as many games against Leicestershire.

He reached three figures off 161 balls with a six and 13 fours, the last a square cut off Dakin. But Fairbrother lost his off stump to Dakin's next ball and although Warren Hegg, who had shared a sixth-wicket stand of 85, also completed an 80-ball half-century, Dakin's spell dragged the visitors back into the match.

Muralitharan then undermined that work by sending back both Leicester openers before they had wiped off the deficit, bowling Trevor Ward and trapping Iain Sutcliffe lbw to leave them 61 for two.

Ben Smith and Daniel Marsh steadied the ship with a third-wicket stand of 65 but then Smith went lbw to Murali and Martin bowled a super spell from the Warwick Road End to put Leicester on the back foot again. He had Marsh caught at cover, Vince Wells lbw and Neil Burns caught behind.

But Maddy, who had batted 202 minutes for an unbeaten 57 in the first innings, grafted on and Dakin then collected three consecutive boundaries off Andy Flintoff to revive Leicestershire's hopes of completing a Championship double over their hosts.