LANCASHIRE redeemed a threadbare start to the season and a scruffy display in the field with an altogether smarter performance with the bat, overcoming a middle-order collapse to achieve a demanding target of 283 to beat Leicestershire by two wickets.

The odds on Lancashire succeeding dipped sharply as they lost their two top scorers, Neil Fairbrother and John Crawley, as well as Wasim Akram and Ian Austin in seven overs but their nerve held amid repeated intrusions by rain and Warren Hegg guided them home with three balls to spare.

Darren Maddy, who scored 97 and 101 in his first two innings in the Benson and Hedges competition last season, made an unbeaten 136 off 154 balls to claim the Gold Award, underline his claim for a place in the England squad and thrust Leicestershire to 283 for two.

Lancashire, who had dropped him in the gully on 56 and behind square leg on 122, also spilled two catches offered by Ben Smith, with whom he put on 206 in 37 overs, but were spared the worst consequences of such profligacy when Crawley and Fairbrother put on 156 for the third wicket in 25 overs.

Fairbrother made 68 off 69 balls before playing on against Alan Mullally, who had earlier added to Mike Atherton's barren spell with an awkard lifter, and Lancashire had to temper aggression with some circumspection when Chris Lewis yorked Crawley (88 off 100 balls) and had Wasim held at mid-on two balls later.

The odds shifted this way and that as Jon Dakin preyed on misjudgment with three wickets in two overs before Hegg's fusillade gained Lancashire supremacy.