SKIPPER John Crawley, opener Mark Chilton and Andy Flintoff went some way to easing Lancashire's trials on the first day of the crucial Championship match against relegation rivals Northants.

Under-fire Crawley hit a welcome half-century after sharing in an 85-run opening stand with Chilton (46) and at lunch Lancs reached 157-1 with Crawley on 64 and Flintoff on 38.

Yesterday they seemed certain to go into the Northants match with a morale-boosting National League victory when at the start of the last over Middlesex still needed 16 runs to win.

But then Jamie Dalrymple slogged Glen Chapple's first ball for six and edged the next for four, and after a leg bye another unknown youngster, Chad Keegan, swept another boundary and scrambled a single to condemn Lancashire to a three-wicket defeat - and a long miserable drive back to Manchester.

After Monday's defeat at Leicester in the C&G semi final, it means Lancashire have lost eight, and won only two, of their last 12 matches in all competitions.

It was especially cruel on Chapple, who had linked up with Andy Flintoff to put the squeeze on Middlesex after they seemed to be heading for a comfortable win.

Chapple bowled a wicket maiden in the 43rd over, while Flintoff claimed the crucial wicket of England hopeful Owais Shah, snapped up by Neil Fairbrother at mid wicket for 49.

Earlier Joe Scuderi had taken three for 28 from his nine overs to complete probably his best all-round performance for Lancashire after he made a handy 42.

But those runs, and a sixth wicket stand of 72 in 17 overs with Graham Lloyd, came from the familiar background of a batting collapse which left Lancashire's total of 205 a little bit light.

They slumped to 9-2 after Chapple and Mark Chilton both went cheaply to Angus Fraser, but Flintoff looked in superb touch as he dominated a third wicket stand of 63 in nine overs with John Crawley.

Flintoff raced to 45 from 35 balls with seven fours and a huge straight six, but then gave his wicket away with a loose shot to backward point. And when Crawley and Neil Fairbrother followed in quick succession, Lancashire were back in trouble at 85 for five.