SAJID Mahmood came in for praise after producing a five-star performance for Lancashire on the last day of their match at Durham University.

Former Egerton and Astley Bridge player Mahmood followed his four wickets in the students' first innings by ripping out their first five batsmen second time around to give Lancashire hopes of an unlikely victory.

The game ended in a weather-hit draw but the priority was for individual performances, and despite centuries from Alec Swann and Carl Hooper, it was Sajid who stole the show.

"He did well on a pitch that didn't have much pace," said his fellow Boltonian Mike Watkinson, the Lancashire manager. "He got some bounce and at times he was quite hostile."

Sajid, who came from nowhere to make his Championship debut last summer, also impressed in his first National League appearance against Hampshire at Old Trafford last Sunday.

Watkinson also praised the efforts of Lancashire's other young seamers, Steven Crook and Oliver Newby, even though they didn't have the same success as Sajid.

"Newby had a couple of chances dropped off his bowling, and Steven Crook ran in hard in both innings," he added.