WORCESTERSHIRE Royals received a standing ovation after stepping up their promotion bid with a remarkable ten run win over Lancashire Lightning in yesterday's action-packed Norwich Union League Division Two clash at New Road.

After being ripped out for a meagre 99, skipper Graeme Hick's triumphant troops stormed to a memorable victory by dismissing shell-shocked Lancashire for 89 with 15.4 overs to spare.

The County's bowling heroes on a pitch which offered a variety of pace, bounce and lavish movement were seamers Andy Bichel and Alamgir Sheriyar, who both claimed 3-23.

In one of the most entertaining league matches at New Road for a long time, Lancashire crashed to their third defeat of the season when Chris Schofield (20) and John Crawley (18) were the only two batsman to cause the County any real concern.

For delighted Worcestershire was their fourth win of the campaign and keeps them just two points behind table-topping Durham Dynamos.

Earlier the County, after winning the toss, had been ripped out in 34.5 overs.

Forty of their runs came in what proved to be a crucial first wicket partnership in eight overs between Paul Pollard and Anurag Singh.

Once the stand was broken, however, they subsided in dramatic fashion with Lancashire paceman Andrew Flintoff finishing a league-best 3-16.

It was Glen Chapple who pushed Worcestershire onto a slippery slope by knocking back Singh's off stump for 30 off 22 balls.

He hit four of the ten boundaries that the County could manage in their entire innings, although Lancashire also found fours difficult to come by and collected just nine.

Hick fell in the same over as Singh when he nicked a Chapple delivery onto his leg stump for two.

Vikram Solanki soon followed for ten when he was caught by Mike Atherton at first slip off miserly Michael Smethurst, who registered figures of 9-4-9-1.

David Leatherdale fell to a catch behind by Warren Hegg for two and when Bichel cut Flintoff straight to Mark Chilton at point the County were sinking fast on 72-5.

Pollard's 79-ball innings finally ended when he attempted to cut Flintoff and was caught at first slip by Atherton.

Steve Rhodes was sent back by Stuart Lampitt and was run out for six and another mix-up led to Kabir Ali being run out leading to Peter Martin ending Worcestershire's innings by dismissing Matthew Rawnsley and Sheriyar in successive deliveries.