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Muttiah Muralitharan made a spectacular home debut for Lancashire, and delighted Old Trafford's marketing chiefs who believe he will pull in more fans to championship cricket.

The Sri Lankan spinner devastated Warwicks with figures of 34.5-16-44-7 at Southport to prove that he is the perfect choice as the overseas player for this season, even though Lancashire will only have him for about 10 weeks.

Murali was all smiles today, saying: ``I enjoyed it and I think the rest of the boys were happy, too.''

Coach Dav Whatmore added: ``On that pitch it was harder than he made it look, it will be interesting to see what happens when he bowls on a turning track.''

Interesting is hardly the word. Murali mesmerised Warwicks on a slowish pitch that did not offer him that much encouragement, and his display sent a cold shiver through county cricket. English batsmen cannot deal with this type of spin wizardry and one of his seven victims admitted: ``I didn't know what he was going to bowl next.'' But Lancashire lost two wickets, Mark Chilton and nightwatchman Peter Martin when they batted and Whatmore said: There is a lot of hard work to be done in this game.'' Warwicks had marched to 137-1 but, with Murali switching ends and bowling unchanged, they lost their last nine wickets for 80 and were bowled out for 217 after choosing to bat. Only Nick Knight showed any composure with 82, perhaps making a point after being left out of England's World Cup matches.

But even he succumbed to the magician and with Peter Martin earning 3-24 from 18 hard-working overs, Lancashire had one of their best days so far this season.

Mike Atherton scored an unbeaten century on his comeback from back trouble at Middlesbrough yesterday.

Athers was unbeaten on 102 out of the second team's 215-3 at the end of the second day of their match against Yorkshire. His second 50 came from only 20 balls, and skipper Peter Sleep said: ``It showed the inner strength of the man.''

More significantly for Atherton, Lancashire and possibly England, he suffered no reaction from the back. - an encouraging sign that all the treatment he has been having since being forced out of England's World Cup plans in February has paid off.