JOHN Crawley was in phlegmatic mood after his decision to bat first at Leicester left Lancashire with a mountain to climb in their C&G semi final which reumes today.

It was a massive shock in miserable grey conditions which had prevented any play until 3pm.

And it backfired disastrously with Lancashire slumping to 38 for five and 60 for six until Warren Hegg and Chris Schofield launched a mini-recovery.

It was the latest in a series of embarrassments for Crawley, who was left with egg on his face after choosing to field in the Championship games against Kent and, last week, Yorkshire.

But the Lancashire skipper said: "People are allowed to criticise but I am big enough and ugly enough to take it.

"There are a lot of experienced heads in our dressing room but even they were undecided."