LANCASHIRE skipper Warren Hegg was pleased to settle for a draw as their Championship clash with Warwickshire at Stratford came to a soggy end.

A positive result was unlikely after the two first innings had taken three days and a heavy shower shortly after lunch on the final day saw the game called off early after old wicket ends turned into mud.

The Red Rose side take 12 points from the game and it brings to end a run of five successive defeats and sees them move to fourth in the Championship table, 41 points behind Warwickshire, who remain top

"We would have settled for that after our results in the last fortnight," said Hegg. "We came down here and played some good cricket. Mal Loye was fantastic and Dinesh Mongia had a good knock."

There was some debate about Lancashire's decision to bat on after claiming their final batting bonus point instead of declaring and putting the onus back on Warwickshire, but Hegg said that was never in their minds. "Our aim was to bat on and put them under pressure by getting a lead."

The play that was possible on the final day saw Lancashire extend their first innings to 508. An early wicket each for John Wood and Gary Keedy suggested that Warwickshire may struggle more second time around, but Nick Knight struck his second half-century of the game to snuff out any thought of a collapse before the rain arrived.

Lancashire's next game is a day/night clash with Northamptonshire at Old Trafford on Friday. They then take on the same opposition in the Championship at another outground, Aigburth in Liverpool, starting on Saturday.