LANCASHIRE tomorrow face the first of four CGU National League matches which will decide their title chances.

The Lightning take on Gloucestershire Gladiators at Old Trafford with skipper John Crawley in no doubt about the importance of the game.

"We've set our sights on winning the Gloucester game, the two Yorkshire day-night games and then the last game at Worcester," Crawley explained.

Worcestershire went six points clear at the top of the First Division by beating Yorkshire at Headingley yesterday.

So Lancashire must win their game in hand against Gloucestershire - who still have an outside title chance themselves, four points further off the pace.

Lightning then face the flagging Yorkshire Phoenix at Headingley on Thursday and Old Trafford next Tuesday. They then have three more home games against Leicestershire, Kent and Hampshire, before going to Worcester on September 19.

Gloucestershire are still on a high after their crushing victory over Yorkshire in the Benson and Hedges Super Cup final at Lord's.

And Mark Alleyne's team have already beaten Lancashire once in the National League this season at Bristol. "We certainly owe them one for that game," added Crawley. But they're on a bit of a roll themselves. They are a team without many stars, but a lot of good performers which makes them quite hard to beat."

Lancashire will be picking from full strength for the match, which will be Muttiah Muralitharan's last appearance at Old Trafford this season. His 66 Championship wickets have taken them to seventh in the table - although it is still desperately tight, with only three points separating Lancashire from the bottom half, and a place in next year's Second Division, after the completion of the latest round of matches at the weekend.

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