LANCASHIRE are back on track for their first Lord's final for two years -- thanks to a pair of unlikely batting heroes in Ian Austin and Mike Smethurst.

They looked to be sliding out of the Benson and Hedges Cup at Old Trafford yesterday as Leicestershire's Indian leg-spinner Anil Kumble sent them tumbling from 97-2 to 148-9.

But in front of a captivated crowd, Austin and Smethurst inched their way to Leicester's total of 172 before Austin hit the winning runs with nine balls to spare.

And they were rewarded as Lancashire were drawn at home to Durham in the quarter finals on May 9.

"It was a heroic last wicket partnership," said a relieved and delighted Lancashire captain John Crawley.

"Austin is used to this sort of thing, but it still takes some doing. Smethurst showed a lot of fight and courage.

"I honestly didn't think we had much chance of getting 25 runs from our last wicket pair. We have been involved in some unlikely wins but this one was hard to take in."

Austin, who was forced off the field during the Leicestershire innings after treading on his own hand and cutting his finger, said: "It was a tall order, but I told Mike to get stuck in and play is own game. He did magnificently."

As he joked afterwards, the only disappointment for Austin was that there was no collection for his testimonial at the ground yesterday.

However, his performance showed why Austin has become such a popular Lancashire cricketer, and can surely look forward to a bumper benefit. As for Smethurst, it was the second time in his short Lancashire career that he has been the batting hero, after claiming a NatWest Trophy man of the match award at Hampshire last year for hitting the winning boundary. An amazing game had started with Leicestershire slumping into trouble as Chris Schofield claimed three wickets on his first appearance of the season and Chris Lewis ran himself out without facing a ball to the delight of the Lancastrians who booed him to the crease following his widely publicised match-rigging revelations.

Leicester did well to recover to 172 with Ben Smith their batting hero, but it did not look likely to be enough as Lancashire reached 97-2.

Then Kumble took over, leaving the hapless Andy Flintoff floundering in mid-pitch and adding the wickets of Warren Hegg, Graham Lloyd and Neil Fairbrother.

Schofield did his bit with the bat, but when he was dismissed by Lewis and Peter Martin was bowled by John Dakin, Lancashire appeared to be heading for ignominious defeat.

Instead they travelled south for Canterbury today, where they start the Championship season against Kent tomorrow, in good spirits with the perfect quarter-final draw against a Durham team they have already thumped in a 10-over slog this season.

Quarter-final draw: Lancashire v Durham, Glamorgan v Hampshire, Yorkshire v Surrey, Sussex v Gloucestershire.