LANCASHIRE Lightning need more than Twenty20 vision to plot a path through to the final after collapsing for the second time in five days at Leicester last night.

It must be something to do with the East Midlands air as they suffered a near repeat of Monday's opening night shambles in Nottingham.

Wickets tumbled in reply to an imposing Leicestershire total of 178 for seven, and Lightning were 97 for eight before Glen Chapple smashed a face-saving half century, Lancashire's first in the competition.

It means they cannot now overtake the Foxes, who are top of the northern group after winning their first three matches, and even wins in Lancashire's last two games - against Derbyshire tonight and Durham on Tuesday, both at Old Trafford - would leave them relying on other results to qualify.

Lancashire's bowlers received their worst pummelling of the tournament so far in front of a full house at Grace Road, with Leicester's Indian opener Virender Sehwag starting the assault when he launched Chapple for six over third man in the first over.

Sehwag smashed 26 until he was bowled by Peter Martin, and Carl Hooper then took a stunning one-handed catch to dismiss Phil DeFreitas. But the boundaries continued to flow in a fourth wicket stand of 65 between Darren Stevens and Darren Maddy, with Maddy hitting 21 in a single over from Sajid Mahmood.

Lancashire then made a nightmare start in their reply with Thursday's Roses hero Mal Loye bowled for a duck in the first over, and they never really recovered.

Iain Sutcliffe and Warren Hegg also failed to score and Lancashire were heading for a heavy defeat before Martin joined Earby-based Chapple for the first decent partnership of the innings.

Chapple ended with 55 from only 37 balls, dominating to such an extent that Martin only scored three of the first 50 runs in their stand. But there was never any chance of Lancashire winning and they ended 22 runs short.