LANCASHIRE were battling to stay in the Benson and Hedges Cup in Leicester today after making the worst possible start in the first of their five group games against Durham in Liverpool.

"We did pretty well everything wrong," admitted captain John Crawley after a sloppy performance saw Lancashire lose to Durham for the first time since the North-East county's first ever match in 1992.

"We didn't show a lot of spirit in the field then they bowled reasonably well and we nicked every good ball.

"We've got a lot of hard work to do."

Crawley was hoping to recall Warren Hegg and Peter Martin today after both missed the Durham game with slight injuries.

Hegg decided to give Jamie Haynes his B&H debut describing himself as "only 80% fit" because of a toe injury he picked up playing football last week, while Martin suffered a dislocated finger in fielding practice yesterday morning.

But both were badly missed, and at the end of the day Martin joined Andy Flintoff and Chris Schofield, who is still waiting for his first appearance of the season, to bowl at Mike Atherton in a net on the Aigburth square.

Victims

Atherton had been the second of four early victims for Durham seamer Neil Killeen, edging one of three catches to Martin Love at first slip.

Crawley had already gone, and when Joe Scuderi and Flintoff followed, Lancashire were 39 for four.

As long as Neil Fairbrother was there, Lancashire remained favourites, but his attempt to stage yet another rescue act ended when he was brilliantly caught behind off Danny Law.

Graham Lloyd, playing his first match of the season, went to an undistinguished shot as he tried to hit Law over mid wicket and lobbed a catch to cover, and Lancashire subsided to a comprehensive 54-run defeat.

The only bright spot of the day was the return of Muttiah Muralitharan. The little Sri Lankan conceded eight runs off his first over but only 11 off the remaining nine and also took the key wicket of Love, who was well caught by Haynes, for impressive figures of one for 19.

Meanwhile England coach Duncan Fletcher has confirmed that Atherton will be available for Lancashire's next Championship match, against Leicestershire starting at Grace Road next Wednesday, to give him a first class innings before the First Test against Pakistan at Lord's the following week.