Date-stamped : 26 Jun95 - 10:27 SUNLG: Lancashire v Essex, Old Trafford, 25 June 1995 Titchard has double cause to celebrate - Doug Ibbotson Lancs (201-7) bt Essex (200) by 3 wkts LANCASHIRE, entertaining their biggest Sunday crowd since August 1991 - some 14,000 for the match against Yorkshire - consolidated their challenging position in the Sunday League table with a pal- pitating three-wicket victory over Essex with an over to spare. Challenged to score 201, Lancashire made an excellent start and one of partic- ular satisfaction to Steve Titchard, twice awarded his county cap before play began; first in the committee room by veteran Test batsman Cyril Washbrook then, to public acclaim, by club chairman Bob Bennett and captain Mike Watkinson. Titchard, having shared an opening partnership of 87 with Jason Gallian (39), followed his 130 in the corresponding championship match with an excellent half-century before falling to a catch at midwicket. This in itself was something of a curiosity as the fourth con- secutive wicket to have featured the combin- ation of Mark Waugh and Peter Such; each of whom had taken two catches off the other`s bowling. Titchard`s departure in the 23rd over and the total on 105 fur- rowed the odd Lancastrian brow but when Watkinson, in burgeoning partnership with Graham Lloyd, clouted Ronnie Irani into the midwicket crowd, the doubts seemed unfounded. Then, during a fiery over the erratic Darren Cousins produced a perfect leg-stump yorker and Watkinson was gone for 26. Lloyd soon followed and the frowns returned until gloriously erased by Wasim Akram with 22 from 17 balls. Almost 8,000 sun-drenched spectators - plus a handful of lanky, lanky, Lancashire morons - were presented with a roller- coaster contest that began with Essex`s decision to bat first on a dry, firm and encouragingly fast pitch. The innings was symptomatic of their general form this season, spluttering on and off like a faulty firework. Paul Prichard lit the touchpaper with a couple of boundaries off Watkinson. On 17, however, he attempted another belligerent cut and Gallian, having edged round to point, took a brilliant two- handed diving catch inches from the ground. Waugh, who had been quietly finding the range, now took up the initiative with a four to third man off Ian Austin, coolly dispatched with an angled bat. The Australian went on to reach his half-century by pulling Gary Keedy for six to midwicket and had struck eight resonant fours when, on 83, he was superbly caught by John Crawley at short ex- tra cover off Wasim. At 141 for two in the 28th over, with Nasser Hussain on 35 and Graham Gooch approaching the crease, Essex appeared to be ideally placed for the climactic pyrotechics. But the show began to splutter. Hussain coasted to an unremarkable half-century off 74 balls with only two boundaries and when Gooch, after a sketchy start, was run out for 10, the catherine wheels came off. Source :: The Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk) Contributed by The Management (help@cricinfo.com)