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Muttiah Muralitharan has set himself a target - taking Lancashire into the top half of the Championship table before he heads home for Sri Lanka some time next month.

And who would bet against the little genius in his current form?

Murali grabbed six more wickets yesterday in the Essex second innings to make it 13 in the match, 37 in six innings for Lancashire, and 53 in the last eight first class innings in which he has bowled.

He also remembered that in the two games before he destroyed England at the Oval last season, he took 10 wickets against Leicestershire and nine against Glamorgan - making it 72 in six matches, not including his rain-ruined Lancashire debut against Gloucestershire when he didn't bowl an over.

But more important to Lancashire, Murali's latest six-wicket haul meant that he finished on the winning side for the first time.

Their 118-run victory over Essex was only their second of the season, and the 18 points should see them climb well away from the bottom of the table - although they will still need a couple more wins to get into the top nine and book a place in next year's First Division.

``I'm quite happy because this time we won,'' smiled Murali afterwards.

``If we'd have won the last two games as well we would have 100 points and be going for the title.

``At the moment we will be about 13th, in the mid-table, and if we win a couple more we will make it into the top half.

``I don't know yet when I will have to go back to Sri Lanka, I am still waiting for them to phone me up,'' he added.

But Murali confirmed that he hopes to stay at least until the Roses Match starting on August 19.

While Lancashire continue to rely heavily on their overseas ace, at least in the Essex game they showed they aren't one-man team.

Skipper John Crawley, Mark Chilton and Andy Flintoff all scored half centuries in the first inning with Crawley adding another in the second and Neil Fairbrother also chipping in with handy runs.

And yesterday, although Peter Martin was again desperately unlucky not to take a wicket, Mike Watkinson and Gary Keedy provided Murali with important support.

Groundsman Peter Marron was also a key figure in the win after preparing a pitch ideally suited both to Murali and Essex off-spinner Peter Such, who also took 13 wickets in the match.

It was fitting that Murali completed Lancashire's victory yesterday afternoon by bowling Such - meaning that he had taken five of the last six Essex wickets which tumbled for just 24 runs.

At the moment, Murali is simply unstoppable.