Lancashire v Worcestershire: Moeen sends hosts to defeat

Moeen Ali took career-best match figures of 12-96 as Worcestershire thrashed Lancashire by 205 runs to record their first win of the season.

Vikram Solanki, who will leave the club at the end of the season for Surrey, made 50 in the visitors' 139 all out.

Steven Croft returned best-ever figures of 6-41, Simon Kerrigan taking 3-55.

Moeen then took 6-29 as last year's champions were skittled out for 63, with Gareth Cross (20) the only player to reach double figures.

Two members of the ECB pitch liaison panel Jack Birkenshaw and Bill Hughes inspected the pitch but no penalty was applied.

Lancashire, who lost heavily to Nottinghamshire by 185 runs in their only other Championship match at Old Trafford this season, recorded their lowest total on their home ground since being dismissed for 62 by Somerset in 1963.

Worcestershire claimed their first four-day win in 11 matches since they beat Lancashire at New Road last season. back in September.

The visitors are now only five points behind Lancashire in the Championship table and have two games in hand.

VIEWS FROM THE CHANGING ROOM

Lancashire coach Peter Moores told BBC Radio Lancashire:

"To me, you could bat on the pitch and you saw that in the first innings when Ben Scott got a century.

"It turned, yes, but the bounce was even and we didn't play well enough on it.

"We have not played to the level we played to last year, but we have good players and we are working hard."

Worcestershire director of cricket Steve Rhodes told BBC Hereford & Worcestershire:

"It was big toss to win. We knew it was gong to turn and I was amazed [Gary] Keedy didn't play.

"Ben Scott and Matt Pardoe's partnership was absolutely crucial in the game.

"I am absolutely ecstatic with the win, I don't often say that. The lads needed a bit of a tonic and I think they have got the best possible tonic ahead of our Twenty20 quarter-final."