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Lancashire coach Dav Whatmore today reflected on four precious National League points - and a captaincy headache for tomorrow's Championship match against Gloucestershire.

Whatmore was delighted by his team's performance against Leicestershire yesterday, with an unbeaten half century from Graham Lloyd and three wickets each for Mike Watkinson and Gary Yates setting up a convincing 52-run win. But skipper John Crawley was forced off after injuring his thumb when he dropped a sharp low chance at cover.

He is a big doubt for tomorrow's match at Bristol and Neil Fairbrother, who took over at Leicester and did a superb job, is completing his World Cup commitments along with Lancashire's other two England players Andy Flintoff and Ian Austin - they are off to see the Queen in an official reception at Buckingham Palace.

So Warren Hegg is standing by to lead Lancashire for the first time in his career in his benefit year.

And it could be a Lancashire team with a difference - Sri Lankan off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan is down to make his long-awaited debut.

And Lancashire will travel with confidence after yesterday's performance. They were all out for 208 in the last of their 45 overs after Crawley had won the toss and chosen to bat, with Fairbrother bouncing back from his World Cup disappointment at Edgbaston with a quickfire 31 and Flintoff smashing 29 from only 16 balls.

But it was Lloyd's innings which allowed them to get past 200, as he worked the ball around cleverly and ran between the wickets superbly to reach his first half century of the season from 74 balls.

Lancashire then produced their most professional bowling and fielding performance of the season, with Fairbrother pulling the strings after Crawley left the field for treatment.

Flintoff bowled his nine overs straight through and took 2-34 despite having three chances, including Crawley's dropped off his bowling. Then the spinners took over with Yates claiming 3-36 and Watkinson 3-25 - two more wickets than he took in the AXA League all last season.

Austin wrapped up the victory, and figures of 2-20, which leaves Lancashire with 10 points from five matches - safely in mid-table, but six points behind the Division One leaders Yorkshire who have a 100 per cent record after four matches.

``That was more like the Lancashire of old,'' said Whatmore. It's just a shame they have to wait a fortnight until their next National League game, against Warwickshire at Edgbaston.