SEMI-FINAL LANCASHIRE v MIDDLESEX AT CLIFTON

Lancs O-50s leave it late LANCASHIRE clinched a last ball victory over Middlesex in the National Over-50s Cricket Knockout at Clifton.

The Red Rose county reached just 154 which was largely due to the experience of Kearsley's Mel Whittle whose 37 held the later part of the innings together after too many wickets had been thrown away.

Middlesex made a poor start, losing their first two wickets for six runs and Whittle took one wicket for 21 from nine overs.

Middlesex's Ramesh Sethi batted through the innings and was still there at the start of the last over with Middlesex still 10 runs short.

But his brave knock came to an end when former Westhoughton pro Mike Staziker dismissed him with three balls remaining. Middlesex needed six from the final delivery but could only manage a single.

Bolton will stage the final at Green Lane when Lancashire will meet either Norfolk or Kent.

qMIKE Denness, chairman of the Pitch Advisory Group was in discussions with Lancashire after they dismissed Somerset for a lowly 132 in their crucial County Championship match at Old Trafford.

Denness, chairman of the Pitch Advisory Group, docked Yorkshire eight points during last week's drawn match with leaders Surrey at Scarborough which put an end to their hopes of winning the title.

He held talks with groundsman Pete Marron planned to consult both umpires and captains before making a decision, which could also end Lancashire's hopes of pipping Surrey for the title.

Lancashire began their penultimate match of the season 26 points adrift knowing they had to claim a maximum points victory to take the title race into the final game - when they tackle Surrey at Old Trafford.

They got off to a flying start by claiming a maximum three bowling points by dismissing Somerset in just 49.4 overs after stand-in captain Warren Hegg, filling in for John Crawley, elected to bowl in seamer-friendly conditions.

Somerset captain Jamie Cox and Mark Lathwell forged an encouraging 38-run partnership but Peter Martin claimed the breakthrough in the 13th over as Lancashire ended the innings just 16.4 overs after lunch.

Emerging seamer Mike Smethurst, who is tipped as a possible selection for England A's proposed tour to West Indies, claimed three for 29 either side of lunch while Glen Chapple grabbed four for 34.

But it was leg-spinner Chris Schofield who wrapped up Somerset's innings by claiming two for four in 5.4 overs and by tea, Lancashire openers Michael Atherton and Mark Chilton had forged a promising 62-run partnership.