LANCASHIRE Lightning moved to the top of their Twenty20 Cup group with an emphatic 66-run victory over the Derbyshire Phantoms at Old Trafford.

Australian Test squad member Brad Hodge continued his love affair with the competition to put in yet another man-of-the-match performance with four wickets for 17 runs and scored 44 with the bat.

However, after winning the toss and inviting the hosts to bat, the Phantoms got off to a flyer, with a wicket and just seven runs coming from the first two overs - but after changing the bowling from both ends the runs began to flow.

Hodge joined Stuart Law at the crease, and the pair put on 41 for the second wicket in quick time.

After Andrew Crook departed cheaply, Hodge and Dominic Cork then kept up the run rate with some fine strokes to move the score to 90 for three at the halfway point.

Cork (28) then sparked a mid-innings collapse of three wickets in seven balls that slowed the scoring, when he was trapped lbw off Andy Gray's off-spin in the 13th over - but Phantoms paceman Tom Lungley must take most of the credit.

He got rid of Lightning skipper Mark Chilton and Hodge (44) in the collapse, before later removing Glen Chapple to complete a spell of three wickets for 21 runs.

Warren Hegg, Muttiah Muralitharan and James Anderson then boosted the total to 164 for eight.

In reply the Phantoms were again quick out of the blocks thanks to Michael Di Venuto and Jon Moss - but two wickets in three overs swung the game in the hosts' favour.

Firstly Di Venuto (14) was caught by Hodge off Anderson, before Murali removed Moss, stumped, with just his third ball to make the score 36 for two in the seventh over.

A partnership of 21 between Luke Sutton and Welch ensued, before the latter went in the 10th.

From then on the Lightning were always on top, and Hodge's four wickets rubber-stamped the win.