Lancashire Lightning extended their unbeaten run in the Friends Life T20 north group to three games with an emphatic five-wicket win over Leicestershire Foxes at Grace Road.

Opener Tom Smith hit a sparkling 75 as Lancashire made light work of chasing down a target of 174, cruising to victory with 11 balls to spare.

Josh Cobb top-scored for the Foxes with 60 to help them post what looked a challenging total of 173-2 after being put in to bat.

But it proved to be nowhere near enough as Smith and Stephen Moore shared a quick-fire half-century opening partnership for Lancashire in the first four overs.

The Foxes’ attack was unable to contain them and the boundaries flowed until Moore, having made 25 off 13 balls, skied a catch to mid-on off Matthew Hoggard.

But Steven Croft joined Smith in another brisk stand of 48 in five overs, hitting six fours in his 33 before holing out to long-on as he mistimed a shot against ex-East Lancs pro Claude Henderson.

The Foxes could not remove danger man Smith, and he struck two glorious sixes plus seven other boundaries in his 45-ball knock.

When he was finally bowled by a yorker from Harry Gurney in the 17th over, Lightning needed only nine more runs to win, and an edged four by Luke Proctor saw them safely to victory.

Cobb and former Enfield and Lowerhouse pro Andrew McDonald gave the Foxes a solid start to their innings, putting on 79 in 10 overs.

McDonald reached his half-century off 45 balls, but struck only two boundaries while his innings included 34 singles.

Will Jefferson stepped on the accelerator, hitting 42 off 19 balls with two sixes.

In the end it was still not enough to prevent Lancashire picking up their second win in three games, with their other result a tied match.