Leicestershire v Lancashire

GARY KEEDY bounced back from one of the worst moments of his short Lancashire career to give them the best of a draw with champions Leicestershire at Grace Road yesterday.

Keedy dropped an absolute dolly offered by Leicester's South African all-rounder Neil Johnson in the first innings when he had scored 20.

Johnson went on to make 150 out of a total of 468, and Keedy said: "I felt really bad about it and especially sorry for Gary Yates, who was the bowler. It was a bad drop, no excuses, and it left me with some ground to make up."

But yesterday the 22-year-old left arm spinner claimed 3-66 from 26 overs as Leicester struggled to 247-5, rarely threatening a target of 331 to go top of the table. Lancashire took 10 points from the draw to climb off the bottom.

It was Keedy's best bowling performance for two years as he aims to fulfil the promise spotted by David Lloyd in his early days with Yorkshire.

And that has put him in good heart for tomorrow's game against Somerset at Taunton, scene of his finest hour with Lancashire so far.

Keedy took 4-35, still a career best, as Lancashire swept to a convincing victory in Wasim Akram's first match as captain with a superb century from Neil Fairbrother. Ironically Fairbrother is set to take over the captaincy tomorrow with Wasim and Mike Watkinson still struggling with injuries, and Mike Atherton and John Crawley heading for the First Test at Edgbaston.

Steve Titchard and Paddy McKeown are recalled to the side after playing in last week's draw against Northants, which means no place for youngsters Nathan Wood or Andy Flintoff.

Wood showed signs of finding his feet at first team level with 48 not out in the second innings against Northants after failures on his previous two Championship appearances, while 19-year-old Flintoff offered more evidence of his exciting ability last week with two sensational centuries which took the second team to a pair of unlikely victories over Derbyshire.

But Lancashire have given McKeown another well-earned chance after the 21-year-old impressed in both the Championship and Sunday games against Northants, while Titchard is rewarded for his reliability in seven years as Atherton's deputy.

Second XI coach Peter Sleep said: "I have been very impressed with McKeown.

"He has developed a tremendous amount recently. Two years ago I have to say he looked a little out of his depth, but now he is on top of his game and playing as well as I have seen him. He looks ready for first team cricket and just needs to grab every chance that he can. "Andy Flintoff possibly needs a couple more big knocks. He has enormous potential but has to aim for more consistency."

Somerset are without Test paceman Andrew Caddick which means Pakistan leg-spinner Mushtaq Ahmed will provide the main threat from a team now coached by former England all-rounder Dermot Reeve. Lancashire (probable): Gallian, Titchard, McKeown, Fairbrother, Lloyd, Austin, Hegg, Yates, Chapple, Martin, Keedy.

Meanwhile, Graham Lloyd lowered his own mark for the fastest century of the season at Leicester yesterday - then saw it beaten by a contrived century from Warwickshire's Nick Knight.

Lloyd had already hit the two quickest tons of the year - from 76 balls on his way to 225 against Yorkshire, and from one ball more in the next game against Durham.

Yesterday he smashed 100 not out from just 73 balls to allow skipper Mike Atherton to declare before lunch, hammering seven sixes and racing to his second 50 from just 25 deliveries.

As in his previous centuries, there was no question of Leicestershire helping him on his way. Off-spinner Adrian Pierson and veteran seamer Gordon Parsons were the bowlers, and at one stage Leicester had all their fielders around the boundary.

In contrast Knight's 55-ball effort came in totally contrived circumstances, with all 11 Hampshire players given a bowl including wicket keeper Adrian Aymes. David Hemp, Knight's second wicket partner, also beat Lloyd with his century coming from 64 balls.

Yet they both move above Lloyd in the official table.

Meanwhile Lloyd continues to enjoy his best-ever start to a season with Lancashire. The 27-year-old has now scored 589 runs in seven first class innings at an average of 98.

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