By Stephen Thorpe at Lytham
First day of four: Worcs 261-7 v Lancs
VIKRAM SOLANKI suddenly has a taste for runs, falling 13 short of his second hundred in three days, and keeping Lancashire at bay after all-rounder Andy Flintoff's bowling talent was finally unveiled in all too brief three-wicket spell.
The 22-year-old right hander scored a largely unnoticed maiden championship hundred against Sussex on the same day as Graeme Hick's eternal landmark of centuries six weeks ago and followed up with a first limited-overs hundred on Sunday.
Tall, wristily elegant and deceptively strong off the back foot, his knock featured 15 fours but was not without blemish, Wasim Akram missing him badly at extra-cover off Flintoff, then Mike Watkinson flooring another at third slip off Ian Austin.
The setting is agreeably sylvan and a multitude of marquees lent an air of Bedouin encampment to which Lancastrian nomads, swathed in protective swaddling, thronged in fair force.
Pity the weather is not more clement. Many had come, no doubt, to witness another epic innings from Hick, the trader in monumental deeds not words and England's No 6 in waiting, but none seemed too distressed when Flintoff banged one in for Warren Hegg to snare an outside edge high to his right, the second of five catches for the wicketkeeper.
The track is a slow seamer and Tom Moody, the Worcestershire captain, had no hesitation in taking first use on a morning chilled by a blustery wind off the Ribble estuary. No day for fielding then; 24 overs lost to rain and Lancashire dropping five catches before Steven Rhodes's workmanlike 44 stiffened the tail.
Day 2: Lancashire are hampered as hoodoo strikes
By Stephen Thorpe at Lytham
Second day of four: Lancs (195-5) trail Worcestershire (350) by 155 runs
LANCASHIRE strove hard to avoid the follow-on, and need just six more runs after Mike Watkinson's 55, John Crawley's 39 and 34 not out from the captain, Wasim Akram, checked Worcestershire's enthusiastic advance. The pitch had quickened in more equable weather but Lancashire are hampered by the loss of Neil Fairbrother, who suffered the latest in a series of quirky injuries.
Eleven years ago Michael Atherton bagged a pair here against Sussex and then Lancashire finished runners-up after five straight victories. A similar scenario would not go amiss now. He went cheaply, naturally, brilliantly held in the gully by Phil Weston before expectation greeted the No 3 after recent exploits.
Andrew Flintoff is no stranger to these parts, either, having raised insurance premiums around the St Anne's ground with his destructive power as a 15-year-old in the Northern League. Parents and grandparents were among another sizeable crowd but, after Vikram Solanki dropped him at third slip, the fielder redeemed himself in Phil Newport's next over.
Tom Moody, the Worcestershire captain, was delighted by the first-day progress and Lancashire were again in benevolent mood, allowing another 89 runs in the morning. Richard Illingworth was missed at slip by Watkinson, whose later effort underlined his strength of character.
Fairbrother, like Atherton, fears the Indian sign at Church Road and sure enough the hoodoo struck again. Having already sustained finger damage on Tuesday, he trod on the ball in a boundary chase and collapsed in severe pain, with highly sympathetic team-mates in rapped attendance. John Crawley: ``Harvey, I hope you haven't spiked the ball.'' Fairbrother, through gritted teeth: ``I did, and it should swing now.'' He went to hospital for X-rays on a swollen right ankle but the prognosis on ligament damage should be clearer today, though he will only bat in an emergency.
Wasim wrapped things up, trapping Stuart Lampitt lbw for 36 and bowling Newport before Warren Hegg's sixth catch accounted for Illingworth, whose excellent half-century included seven fours.
Day 3: Moody magnificent to set up the chase
By Stephen Thorpe at Lytham
Third day of four: Worcs (350 & 196-6) lead Lancs (307) by 239 runs
AN intriguing climax seems guaranteed today after Tom Moody, the Worcestershire captain, dragged the side from adversity with a masterful unbeaten 93 in difficult circumstances though the weather, gloriously sunny yesterday, may yet play a part.
Moody took charge after five wickets were lost in building a meagre lead of 119 and, while setting last-day run chases for Lancashire is fraught with uncertainty, he may still relish the prospect.
He needs no reminder, either, of Lancashire's lower-order capacity, having suffered earlier during Ian Austin's forceful 59 not out, but the pitch is traditionally a square turner and Richard Illingworth's left arm will be twitching in anticipation.
The surface, which drains well through a sandy sub-soil, has dried out but is still assisting the seamers, and Wasim Akram bowled rapidly without luck in two spells. Lancashire, though, are sustained by the variety of their seam attack and Glen Chapple shifted the balance in a brief passage of verve and movement and three cheap wickets.
Visions of his initial incarnation here, in fact, after Peter Martin had Abdul Hafeez caught at slip, with Graeme Hick trapped lbw from a low one, Vikram Solanki caught behind and David Leatherdale taken at short leg.
In the morning Lancashire had emphasised again the importance of batting deep after another forthright half-century from Warren Hegg, his fifth in eight innings, set the tempo for Austin. Hegg is probably in the form of his life, simultaneously topping Lancashire's championship and one-day averages recently, and reaching fifty with a brace of extra-cover drives. Austin, however, immediately straight drove Moody then launched a six into the long-off beer tent.
Day 4: Crawley's 108 sets up memorable success
By Stephen Thorpe at Lytham
Lancs (307 & 281-8) bt Worcs (350 & 237-6) by 2 wkts
LANCASHIRE'S penchant for the stirring denouement has served them well in recent weeks and never more than yesterday when another dramatic final hour and their fourth consecutive victory, achieved with only seven balls to spare, added spice to the championship challenge.
John Crawley led the way in a chase for 281 with 18 fours in a superb 108, a target which became a race against the elements when a heavy downpour cost five overs.
Thirty-six runs were needed off seven overs and Lancashire lost Warren Hegg and Glen Chapple in an astonishing finale in which every run was cheered to the echo. Peter Martin struck the winning runs with Neil Fairbrother, forced to take a back seat with ankle ligament damage, padded up and waiting. Ian Austin was rightly named Lancashire's man of the match for a rumbustious 44 not out which ultimately carried the day.
Heavy morning rain removed 17 overs and required the captains' collusion after an hour's delay and Graham Lloyd and Crawley tossed up the necessary dross allowing Tom Moody, Worcestershire's captain, his second championship hundred of the season.
Lancashire's second XI game against Warwickshire at nearby Fleetwood was called off at 10am but strong winds and excellent drainage assisted a remarkable transformation at Lytham.
Lancashire eventually needed to score at a rate of 3.6 through 74 overs and Crawley set forth in imperious fettle, his legside timing especially easy on the eye.
Graeme Hick, impassive at slip, no doubt surveyed proceedings in grudging admiration, mindful that the Lancastrian also still has a stake at Test level.
Meanwhile, Michael Atherton, who briefly threatened to allay the Church Road demons, was held at first slip slashing across Stuart Lampitt for 22, the sum total of his six previous knocks here and a major improvement on the first three outings which failed to produce a run. In marched Andrew Flintoff and then out again after two boundaries, undone by Lampitt's extra bounce to the audible disappointment of a legion of local admirers.
David Lloyd, the England coach, travelled from Durham on Thursday to monitor his bowling but the big man is still conscious of earlier back trouble and does not attack the crease. A barracker in the crowd told him as much.
Flintoff's time will surely come for England, ideally perhaps in the one-day triangular tournament in August.
Graham Lloyd averages a disappointing 22 from 10 innings and soon chipped a return catch off David Leatherdale's first ball, but Lancashire were still well in the frame at tea, needing 119 from 33 overs.
Moody had both spinners, Richard Illingwoth and Vikram Solanki, operation at this stage and Illingworth missed a caught and bowled off Mike Watkinson before Phil Newport's introduction shifted the odds with a double-wicket maiden.
Watkinson flirted outside off stump and was taken at slip, Wasim Akram was comprehensively bowled second ball, then Newport claimed the prized scalp of Crawley, castled leg stump working across the line.
Austin and Hegg (37) had performed first-innings heroics, of course, and Austin was quickly in the groove when the rain clouds threatened, driving Bobby Chapman to distraction before the late downpour.
Moody, Hick, Wasim and Atherton will doubtless discuss the ramifications this morning at Lord's, before their participation in the Princess of Wales Memorial Match.