GLEN CHAPPLE has buried his injury nightmare - and he aims to make up for lost time after his remarkable 5-7 for Lancashire against the Minor Counties in the Benson and Hedges Cup yesterday.

The 24-year-old Earby paceman was hoping to push for England honours last summer after his sensational six wicket performance in the 1996 NatWest Trophy final against Essex, and a decent A tour to Australia.

Instead, he spent most of the season on the sidelines, as first a broken knuckle and then a torn intercostal muscle shattered those hopes.

Then in September the extent of his nagging groin problem was finally diagnosed, and he was booked in for a double hernia operation.

But after a quiet start to the season, yesterday in deepest Norfolk he exploded back to his best with an outstanding five overs as Lancashire made short work of the Minor Counties.

"It felt good out there," he reflected. "After missing so much of last season, I'm determined to enjoy my cricket. I'm starting off from scratch really, and after last year I'm just looking to stay fit and play to my potential."

For the last four months, Chapple has been working hard on his speed and strength as well as bowling in the nets, as one of the players awarded a 12-month contract by Lancashire. Yesterday he came on in the 18th over with the Minor Counties on 40-4, and ripped through the rest of their batting.

Admittedly, it was probably the weakest opposition Lancashire will face this season, but it was still good to see Chapple fit and firing again.

The Minors had actually survived the first 11 overs after being put in by Wasim Akram, and reached 18 without loss. But all 10 wickets then tumbled for 34 more runs in 16 overs, with Peter Martin and Ian Austin sharing the first four, Wasim picking up the last, and Mike Atherton taking three sharp slip catches.

It was the Minors' lowest total in 73 B&H matches, and the lowest ever against Lancashire in this competition.

Atherton then steered Lancashire to a seven wicket win, although Blackpool seamer Marcus Sharp, who used to be on the Old Trafford staff, had the satisfaction of dismissing Neil Fairbrother and John Crawley. Crawley, who was out for a duck to Sharp in the corresponding fixture at Walsall last year, took his revenge by lifting his second ball from Sharp over long off for six. But two overs later he edged a catch to slip.

Clitheroe's Jon Fielding was also in the Minor Counties team, but was bowled by a beauty from Chapple and didn't get a bowl.

Lancashire are now one of four teams with four points from three games, and should qualify if they win their remaining two group fixtures - at Notts tomorrow, and at home to Northants on Saturday.

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