LANCASHIRE used to be known as one-day wizards, but Championship chumps. At the moment, the roles are reversed.

They battled to another vital Championship win over Durham at Old Trafford on Saturday, with Gary Keedy's 10 wickets in the match keeping them above Yorkshire in second in the table, and closing the gap on leaders Surrey to 13 points.

But yesterday at Grace Road, Lancashire were awful in slumping to a seven-wicket defeat by the Leicestershire Foxes which leaves them rock bottom of the National League's First Division.

Lightning are still only halfway through their 16-match campaign, and have games in hand on all the other teams in the league.

But they will probably have to win five of their remaining eight games to avoid relegation -- and, on yesterday's evidence, there is no chance of that.

Act

And, more immediately, Lancashire will need to get their one-day act together for Wednesday's NatWest Trophy quarter final against Surrey at the Oval.

They were going ok at 104 for 2 after being put in, with Sourav Ganguly scoring his third National League 50 of the season despite early failures for Mike Atherton and Andy Flintoff.

But after Ganguly went to his India team-mate Anil Kumble, Lancashire collapsed to 162 for 9.

They needed to bowl and field brilliantly to defend such a poor score, but instead conceded 23 wides and the Foxes sprinted home with eight overs to spare.

Ganguly and Glen Chapple each took an early wicket but Ben Smith and Aftab Habib both capitalised on some loose bowling to share a match-winning third wicket stand of 133.

Flintoff's miserable run continued as, after his failure for England at Lord's on Saturday, he bowled four wides in his first over yesterday.

It had been a different story for Lancashire at Old Trafford on Saturday, although they were made to work hard for victory by Nick Speak.

Durham's captain held up his former team-mates for 61 overs and although he only scored 38 runs, Lancashire members were starting to get twitchy as only one wicket fell in the morning session.

After the break Keedy and Gary Yates polished off the tail. Yates ended with four for 44, and six wickets in the match, but Keedy was the star with six for 56 in another marathon stint of 50 overs which included 22 maidens.

In the match, he ended with the figures of 96-37-155-10, the second time in his career he has taken 10 in a match.

Lancashire were left with 132 to win and although they lost three quick wickets Atherton continued his superb run with an unbeaten 64 to steer them home.