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Fairbrother lights the way

Lancs (143-5) bt Yorks (153-9) by 5 wkts (D/L method)

Lancashire jubilation at attracting a crowd of 12,226 for one of cricket's new-age carnivals last night was tempered when floodlight failure robbed this First Division match of a fitting finale.

A 15-minute delay at 10.05pm, with Lancashire on 135 for five from 36.3 overs, forced the deduction of three overs which gave Lancashire a revised target of 142 from 42 overs instead of 154 from 45. Neil Fairbother and Warren Hegg easily scored the seven to take their side six points clear at the top having played two more games than Worcestershire.

Though denied a nail-biting finish, the crowd left seemingly thrilled by the match entertainment, including an interval turn by Mancunian opera singer Russell Martin, and the batting of Fairbrother, whose unbeaten 54 proved crucial.

Lancashire gambled on batting second and were rewarded by some tight bowling. For David Byas, the Yorkshire captain, it was another frustrating match and a sixth successive defeat in this competition.

In contrast to his undefeated 71 in the NatWest semi-final on Sunday, he struggled to make eight off 39 deliveries and was run out through a comical mix-up between himself and top-scorer Michael Vaughan. To complete the embarrassing episode his departure was accompanied by a rendition of Bay City Rollers's Bye, Bye, Baby.

Flintoff returned mean figures of two for 24 and kept Yorkshire pinned down when in tandem with Muttiah Muralitharan.