Round-Up: Lancashire slump puts celebrations on hold

Hoping to confirm their status as champions by the close of the second day against Leicestershire, Lancashire needed a further 239 runs after resuming on 61 for 2 to claim three batting points and rule Yorkshire out of the equation.

But instead of making smooth progress towards the £30,000 prize for finishing top of the second tier, Lancashire slumped to 191 all out having been denied the services of top run-scorer Mal Loye for the rest of the game with back spasms.

Without Loye, who averages nearly 50 this season after scoring 1,195 runs, Lancashire could only claim a 26-run first innings lead - a collapse which could have threatened their title ambitions had Yorkshire prospered in their match at Northampton instead of conceding a 299-run first-innings lead.

As it was, Lancashire recovered sufficiently to again put Leicestershire under pressure on 158 for 7, a lead of 132, having had 16 overs wiped out through bright sunshine distracting the batsmen's view.

Lancashire's title procession was undermined from the start of the day when they lost two wickets in the opening seven overs.

The hosts never recovered their momentum with only three players - Paul Horton, Andrew Symonds and Glen Chapple - scoring more than 20.

But it was not the regular members of Leicestershire's attack which hastened the Lancashire collapse, but the part-time medium-pacer John Maunders who claimed 4 for 28.

Mushtaq Ahmed fired 90 not out from only 105 balls to revive Sussex and give them an important first-innings lead of 91 over Kent in the County Championship First Division match.

The Pakistan leg-spinner equalled his career best score by thumping eight fours and two sixes as Sussex were bowled out for 348 replying to the visitors' 257 at Hove.

On an easy-paced pitch, left-arm spinner Min Patel impressed to take five wickets for 81 runs from 25 overs

Robert Key passed 1,500 runs for the season with 84, but was caught at slip off Robin Martin-Jenkins in the last over as Kent closed 53 ahead on 144 for 3.

Mushtaq, on target to be leading wicket-taker in England for the third season running, frustrated Kent by helping to add 156 for the last two wickets.

Sussex, who need to win to stand any chance of finishing runners-up behind new champions Nottinghamshire, would have had their hopes dashed had they not claimed a third batting point. Mushtaq ensured they clinched it.

* The Warwickshire batsman and England fielding coach Trevor Penney has announced he is to retire from playing to become Sri Lanka's assistant coach. The 37-year-old, who was one of the substitute fielders controversially used by England in three of the recent Ashes Tests, has been headhunted by the Sri Lanka coach Tom Moody.