Lancs top as Bears are relegated

County Championship D1, Old Trafford: Lancashire 311 & 71-1 beat Warwickshire 106 & 272 by nine wickets
Lancashire 20 pts, Warwickshire 3

Scorecard

Lancashire seized the initiative in the title race with a nine-wicket win over Warwickshire, who were relegated when Kent won their game against Hampshire.

Lancs are six points clear and will win the Championship outright for the first time since 1934 if they beat Surrey.

Warwickshire were bowled out for 272 in their second innings despite a defiant innings of 80 from Alex Loudon.

It left Lancashire to score just 68 and Mark Chilton and Steven Croft saw them home on 71-1 in the 23rd over.

After their dismal form of late, the omens did not look promising for Warwickshire as they began the third day on 125-2, still 80 runs in arrears.

And their prospects looked even bleaker when Jonathan Trott was leg-before to Glen Chapple without adding to his overnight score of 42.

Luke Parker was bowled by Oliver Newby for 14 and Dominic Cork tightened Lancashire's grip by nipping out Tim Ambrose (16) and Ant Botha in quick succession.

Heath Streak only managed four before he was caught behind off Chapple, but Loudon reached a 94-ball half century to stave off an innings defeat, and Alfonso Thomas (15) and Neil Carter (12) provided support in stands of 34 and 26.

Loudon was ninth out when he was bowled by Saj Mahmood, who accounted for last man James Anyon in similar fashion to end Warwickshire's resistance.

Streak shared the new ball with Thomas as Lancashire began their reply, needing one wicket to reach 500 first-class victims in his final game before retirement.

It was not to be for the former Zimbabwe captain, however, despite 11 tidy overs and the only wicket to fall was picked up by Thomas, who found the edge of Paul Horton's bat and he was caught behind for 13.