Their Benson and Hedges Cup campaign ended in suitable style with a crushing seven-wicket defeat by Notts at Trent Bridge - leaving them joint bottom of their group with two points from five matches.

Notts, meanwhile, marched into the quarter finals with Yorkshire and Durham.

Lancashire were missing the injured Neil Fairbrother and Andy Flintoff, and the early loss of Mike Atherton and Mark Chilton meant they were always struggling to post a decent total on the best pitch they have played on all year.

John Crawley played some vintage shots until he was bowled for 37, and Graham Lloyd also hung around for 27.

But Chris Schofield failed on his first appearance of the season and Lancashire were grateful to Joe Scuderi's unbeaten 73 and some late hitting from Warren Hegg to get beyond 200 in their 50 overs.

It never looked likely to be enough, with former Surrey opener Darren Bicknell giving Notts a flying start and picking up the Gold Award for his 89.

Muttiah Muralitharan again went without a wicket although Schofield did claim the encouraging figures of one for 29 in seven overs.

Lancashire picked up two new injury worries for the Leicestershire game, with Lloyd being struck two painful blows on his right hand and Glen Chapple struggling with his right shoulder.

Skipper Crawley and coach Bob Simpson must consider whether to swing the axe or stick with the team who played so well in the opening Championship game against Somerset before the B&H disaster.

Ryan Driver seems certain to return after hitting an unbeaten 179 for the second team in Blackpool last week, and Mike Smethurst is also likely to be back in the attack.

But Flintoff is definitely out as he waits for a specialist to confirm the extent of his side injury, while Fairbrother will have a fitness test in the morning.

Lancs (possible): Atherton, Driver, Crawley, Chilton, Fairbrother, Scuderi, Hegg, Schofield, Martin, Muralitharan, Smethurst.