BARRING a cricketing miracle, Lancashire are out of the Benson and Hedges Cup, writes ANDY WILSON.

But coach Dav Whatmore today pledged that they will go down fighting in their last qualifying game against Worcestershire at Old Trafford next Monday.

Despite consecutive victories over Warwickshire and yesterday Minor Counties by 35 runs, Lancashire are still only fourth in their group with four points.

They trail Yorkshire and Derbyshire by two points and Warwickshire by a massive amount on run rate so whatever the result between Derbyshire and Warwickshire next Monday, Lancashire's only remaining hope of qualification is for Minor Counties to beat Yorkshire at Headingley.

And that is a very long shot, as Lancashire showed by beating the Minors despite another unconvincing performance.

"We can't control what happens in other games around the country," reflected Whatmore.

"We will go out against Worcestershire and look for a good win, but even if we don't make it there is still a long season to go. We are looking a bit further down the track."

Maybe, but failing to reach the quarter finals in a competition they have won for the past two years is a poor start - and Lancashire deserve nothing more after losing their first two games to Yorkshire and Derbyshire, scraping past Warwickshire on fewer wickets lost, and even flirting with defeat against Minor Counties.

They were in trouble first at 41-5 on Monday having opted to bat first, and then again yesterday as the part-timers, needing only 211 to win, raced to 91-1 in the 14th over.

But Whatmore praised the way they fought back in each innings. "We recovered extremely well through Neil Fairbrother who at least gave us a total to defend," he added.

"It was just awesome hitting from them early in their innings, but once the initial onslaught was stopped our players responded superbly well."

Peter Martin took 3-41, Ian Austin 3-33, but the turning point was a superb boundary catch by John Crawley to dismiss former England opener Wayne Larkins off Gary Yates' first ball.

Fairbrother picked up his ninth Gold Award from 68 B&H appearances for his battling 62 on Monday. Lancashire missed out on the second round of Championship fixtures starting today, but hope that Mike Atherton, Mike Watkinson and Glen Chapple will all be fit to return next week.

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