LANCASHIRE will be playing in the same old county championship next season after their hopes of two divisions were shattered at Lord's yesterday.

Along with the other counties with Test Match grounds, Lancashire were firmly behind Lord MacLaurin's revised plan to introduce two divisions with promotion and relegation to pep up the county game and improve the England team.

But the proposals were defeated by the more conservative counties, with only seven votes in favour and 12 against.

Instead, there will be a limp effort to provide more competition with the top eight in next season's championship qualifying for a limited overs "Super Cup" the following year - the equivalent of the Benson & Hedges Cup quarter-finals.

From 1999, the existing B&H will be combined with the Sunday League in a new 50 over competition split into two divisions - a powerful incentive to finish in the top half of next year's Sunday League.

The counties have voted for Lord MacLaurin's proposals for the lower levels of the game, with the second team championship to be reduced to 12 matches next season and eventually combined with the Minor Counties competition.

And they also backed the controversial plans for Premier Leagues. Those leagues will be made more attractive by a number of features and grants, including a one-day competition with a final at Lord's, and possibly the entry of an ECB XI in the Commonwealth Games in Malaysia.

Meanwhile Graham Lloyd dropped down to the second team to boost Lancashire's championship bid at Old Trafford yesterday.

Lloyd has been excused from the last first team game of the season starting at Bristol on Thursday because his sister is getting married at the weekend.

He is likely to be replaced by Mark Harvey.

And yesterday he blasted 228 as Lancashire piled up 462-6 dec on the first day of their last match of the season against Leicestershire, which they need to win to clinch the title.

Lloyd raced to his century in 75 minutes and hit a total of 12 sixes, dominating a fourth wicket stand of 211 with Steve Titchard - who scored 52.

Lancashire then opened the bowling with spinners Chris Schofield and Gary Yates, and each took a wicket to reduce Leicestershire to 26-2.

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