WARREN Hegg led from the front as Lancashire fought back after a nightmare start to his captaincy career.

The wicket keeper took five consecutive catches, including an acrobatic effort to dismiss Michael Bevan, as Leicestershire slipped from 354 for five to 385 all out on the first day of the Frizzell Championship match at Old Trafford.

Glen Chapple was the pick of the bowlers, ending with three for 61 and picking up where he left off last year.

Peter Martin provided solid support with two for 52, but Mike Smethurst, Gary Keedy and Kyle Hogg - on his Championship debut - were all expensive as former Lancashire all-rounder Phil DeFreitas helped himself to a 22-ball half century.

Daffy launched an onslaught on first Keedy, then Mark Chilton, lofting the occasional medium-pacer for three leg-side sixes.

Lancashire did not help their cause by dropping four chances, the first by David Byas at first slip in the fourth over of his Red Rose debut.

That was not too expensive as Chapple returned to have Iain Sutcliffe caught by another debutant, Stuart Law, at third slip and leave Leicestershire 65 for three.

But everything went pear-shaped for Hegg and Lancashire for three hours after that, as their attack was put to the sword on a good batting pitch.

Bevan, Leicestershire's new Australian signing who always used to play well against Lancashire in his Yorkshire days, linked up with Foxes skipper Vince Wells in a fourth wicket stand of 114 until Bevan was forced to retire hurt after being struck on the wrist by a rising delivery from Martin.

Wells went shortly afterwards, caught by Byas off Keedy in an all-Yorkshire dismissal.

But Darren Stevens and Neil Burns then put on another rapid

century partnership for the fifth wicket, making Lancashire pay for dropping them both on 16.

Hogg, who had dropped Burns at square leg off Keedy, claimed his first Championship wicket in the first over after tea with Hegg diving forward to take his first catch from Burns's miscued pull.

Then came that DeFreitas onslaught, but Lancashire did stick to their task with Smethurst returning to have Stevens caught behind for 74, and Chapple polishing off the last two wickets.

One more bright spot to Lancashire's day was a crowd of 1,900, well above the average at Old Trafford last season showing that the winter exodus of Mike Atherton, John Crawley and Muttiah Muralitharan has not reduced interest in the club.