Mahmood six destroys Worcestershire

Sajid Mahmood's first 10-wicket haul in a match allows Lancashire to set the pace in the LV= County Championship

Sajid Mahmood bagged a career-best 6-75 as Lancashire heaped more misery on Worcestershire to win by six wickets at New Road.

The England Lions’ pace bowler finished with match figures of 10-140 to enable the LV= County Championship Division One leaders to clinch victory with a day to spare.

Their main resistance came from Worcestershire’s blossoming left-hander Moeen Ali who cracked 80, which contained one six and 12 fours off 133 balls.

He eventually became part of the first 10-wicket match haul in 27-year-old Mahmood’s career, which now boasts 203 first-class victims.

Mahmood’s heroics left Lancashire to score 122 for victory which they achieved in 33.5 overs.

They have now won two of their opening three championship encounters, while Worcestershire are paying dearly for being without injured pacemen Kabir Ali (hamstring) and Simon Jones (knee), together with all-rounder Ashley Noffke, who pulled out of the match because of irritation to the scar tissue from his winter hip operation.

As well as being swept aside by Lancashire they have also been soundly beaten by Hampshire and Nottinghamshire and drawn with Yorkshire.

However, Worcestershire were in defiant mood when they resumed 51 runs behind with seven wickets remaining.

Overnight batsmen Moeen and Ben Smith both stuck doggedly to their task with the eye-catching Moeen wiping out his side’s daunting 180-run first innings deficit when he straight-drove spinner Gary Keedy for a hefty six.

They went onto add 102 in 33 overs before Smith, pushing forward to paceman Tom Smith, was trapped leg before for 43.

At that stage Worcestershire were 43 ahead with Moeen and Steve Davies taking Vikram Solanki’s strugglers to 235 for four by lunch, when they held a 55-run lead.

Lancashire struck rapidly after the interval to see off wicketkeeper Davies who got a leading edge to the fifth delivery with the new ball, bowled by Mahmood, and was easily snapped up at cover by Ashwell Prince.

Gareth Batty picked up his second duck of the match when he became the 200th first-class scalp for Mahmood, who followed up by having Moeen smartly caught low down at mid-wicket by captain Glen Chapple.

The impressive quick also accounted for Chris Whelan, while some lusty blows by Gareth Andrew lifted him to 30 before he went for one big hit too many and was bowled by Keedy.

Mahmood’s final scalp was Matt Mason, leaving Worcestershire all out for 301.

After losing Smith, Paul Horton and Prince, Lancashire were directed towards their modest victory target by Francois du Plessis, who made 34.