Lancashire finish action-packed day on top

Neil Fairbrother's unbeaten half-century kept Lancashire in the box seat of their Championship game against Leicestershire after an action-packed second day.

Overnight rain delayed the start by another hour but the teams seemed determined to make up for lost time with wickets and runs flowing on another good Old Trafford pitch.

First Leicestershire slumped from their overnight 83 for three to 202 all out, with only Darren Maddy's battling unbeaten 57, his first Championship half-century of the season, offering much resistance.

Peter Martin and Glen Chapple each ended with three wickets but it was Andy Flintoff, bowling for the first time since he sustained a side injury in early May, who did the most damage in a 10-over spell of three for 28.

But James Ormond then fired out Mark Chilton, John Crawley and Flintoff in the space of eight balls, and when Devon Malcolm bowled Mike Atherton for a stylish 48, Lancashire were in trouble at 68 for four.

Aussie-Italian Joe Scuderi then joined Fairbrother in a vital fifth-wicket stand of 111 in 23 overs, and although Scuderi was out for 46 just before the close as he went for a big hit off Daniel Marsh, Fairbrother ended the day unbeaten on 70 - with Lancashire 191 for five, only 11 runs behind.