LANCASHIRE are finally up and running in the 2000 Championship -- thanks to a superb bowling performance by Peter Martin.

After failing to take a single bonus point from their rain-ruined opening match against Kent in Canterbury, Lancashire claimed maximum bowling points against Leicestershire despite losing the toss on a good Old Trafford pitch.

And that was almost entirely down to Martin, who has been struggling badly himself this season.

The big 31-year-old had a shocker in the Benson and Hedges Cup defeat at Yorkshire, sending down 13 wides, and wasn't much better against Derbyshire.

Even yesterday, he struggled to get going in his opening spell on a bleak Old Trafford morning.

But Glen Chapple and Andy Flintoff managed to chip out the first three Leicestershire wickets before Martin returned from the Warwick Road End just before lunch.

After the loosest of looseners, which had Mike Atherton diving for cover at first slip, he trapped former England man Aftab Habib lbw.

Soon after the break, Martin bowled the former Kent veteran Trevor Ward for a stubborn 39 with a classic outswinger.

And although Leicester captain Vince Wells and controversial Chris Lewis held up Lancashire for the next two hours in a sixth wicket stand of 70, Martin returned after tea to rip out Wells, Lewis, Neil Burns and former team mate Phil DeFreitas in a top class spell.

And he added to his tally to take his seventh wicket this morning, Anil Kumble caught by Atherton as Leicestershire were bowled out for 265. It was only the 13th time in his 12-year career that Martin has taken five wickets or more in a Championship innings, and one of his best-ever performances at Old Trafford. There was also plenty of work for Chris Schofield later in the day and the young leg-spinner bowled tidily in the unpleasant conditions, even though he couldn't manage a wicket.

LEICESTERSHIRE

D Maddy b Chapple ... 6

D Stevens c Schofield b Flintoff ... 41

T Ward b Martin ... 39

B Smith c Hegg b Flintoff ... 4

A Habib lbw Martin ... 4

V Wells c Hegg b Martin ... 56

C Lewis lbw Martin ... 24

N Burns c Hegg b Martin ... 6

P DeFreitas c Atherton b Martin ... 1

A Kumble c Atherton b Martin ... 15

J Ormond not out ... 30

Extras ... 39

Total (all out) ... 265