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Atherton weathers storm to lead Lancashire home

Lancashire (168-3) bt Leicestershire (166-8) by 7 wkts

Mike atherton weathered the grimmest of starts to guide Lancashire to a seven-wicket victory which kept their noses in front of Worcestershire.

It seems increasingly likely that the Division One title will be decided by the game between the top two at Worcester on Sept 19, the final day of the season.

Atherton made an unbeaten 64 - after taking six overs to get off the mark. He survived three appeals for catches behind the stumps - two off Australian paceman Michael Kasprowicz - on nought, one and six.

But nobody revels in a gruelling battle more than Atherton. By the 10th over he had mustered only two runs, but he then drove Jon Dakin through the covers for the first of his four boundaries, and grew in fluency from then on.

Kasprowicz finished with the remarkable analysis of 9-3-11-0, but with 49 from pinch-hitter Mike Watkison and 39 from John Crawley, Atherton shared in two stands of 75 and 57 which settled the outcome.

Leicestershire, put in on a slowish pitch, struggled to 166 for eight against some tight seam bowling. Later Watkinson and Gary Yates both caused problems with their off-spin, and although Aftab Habib played handsomely for 42, it was the ninth-wicket partnership of Kasprowicz and Tim Mason - 51 in 11 overs - which gave them a chance.