Lancashire cricket manager Mike Watkinson says a run of two or three County Championship wins on the bounce could put his side in the box seat for the title.

The Red Rose county resume four-day action against Hampshire today, looking to put Tuesday’s Twenty20 Cup quarter-final disaster against Middlesex firmly behind them.

After a shaky start to the season, which had seen them slip to the lower reaches of LV Division One, Lancashire have played solid cricket for the last three games against Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire and Sussex.

They claimed two high scoring draws against the former two counties ahead of a June break for Twenty20, while battering champions Sussex at Hove last week.

The men from Old Trafford now sit 13 points behind Notts in second place ahead of their clash at the Rose Bowl.

Just 29 points separate top from bottom in the division, with Watkinson saying: “It is all very close now at the top of the table, so whoever can put a run together of two or three wins will maybe pull away from the pack a little.”

Captain Stuart Law has already stressed that it is imperative to concentrate on the positives of Sussex rather than the negatives of Middlesex.

According to Watkinson, there are plenty: “We put up a real top performance against Sussex,” he said. “Our bowlers were extremely disciplined, Stuart Law played a fantastic innings and our patience was really good.

“The main plusses that came out of a game like that for me were the energy we had from ball one to the finish.

“The guys in the field put the pressure on with run outs and the opposition got frightened to run against some of the guys in the inner ring – that sends a real strong message.”

There was a least one positive from Tuesday’s Oval horror. Andrew Flintoff demonstrated that he is on his way back to form with the bat.

Freddie bashed five fours and three sixes in a 41-ball 53 against the Crusaders, just eight days after walloping 62 in the Championship against Sussex.

Sussex skipper Chris Adams witnessed both knocks, as he was commentating on the 20-over clash, and said: “He looked like the old Flintoff. That is what we all want to see, a confident Andrew Flintoff with runs against his name.”

Left-arm spinner Gary Keedy will play today after being left out of Tuesday’s 20-over defeat in favour of Simon Marshall.

LV County Championship – Division Two: Worcestershire: 146, Northants: 134-6.

The Twenty20 Cup: Warwickshire 133-8 lost to Kent 175-6 by 42 runs.