LANCASHIRE'S hopes of silverware this season faded in the burning sunshine of Birmingham.

On the cusp of a Twenty20 semi-final success over Surrey Lions at Edgbaston the Red Rose wilted as Pakistani star Azhar Mahmood turned up the heat.

Having bowled tightly to restrict Surrey, who were unbeaten in the competition in its two-year lifespan, to just 133, Lancashire reached the final over needing seven runs to win with three wickets still in hand.

However, rather going for the big hits, skipper Warren Hegg and Chris Schofield adopted a take a run at a time policy and arrived at the final ball needing three to win.

Mahmood, who had pinned them down in the final over from the City End with a string of yorkers, fired in another full length ball and Schofield was run out going for a suicidal second run - leaving Lancashire beaten by a single run.

It meant huge disappointment for the team and the large contingent of Lancashire fans who had sung their way through a thrilling morning's play in the ever increasing heat.

But at least Lancashire had played their part in proving just how exciting Twenty20 cricket has become in a short time and the game was arguably the best contest of the day.

Sky Sport commentator - and one of Accrington's most famous sons - David Lloyd, certainly felt that was the case.

"It was a marvellous start to the day with some great cricket played in gorgeous conditions," said the former Lancashire and England star.

"To have such great weather and playing in front of a full house is all the players can want for.

"It was just a pity that our lads couldn't win the game in the final over, because I thought we were in a good position to inflict Surrey's first defeat, but it was very tight."

And it was the Surrey bowlers who impressed Lloyd the most - particularly man-of-the-match award winner Mahmood.

"You have to give credit to Azhar," he said. "In the last over he needed to keep the ball up and he put in a string of yorkers.

"It is a difficult talent as he had only about a three-inch margin of error, but he had the ball right on line every time.

"But he is used to playing in front of big noisy crowds back home in Pakistan and it is just the type of event that suits this kind of player."

Lancashire's problems had come earlier than the last over felt Lloyd, who added: "We still could have turned them over and I felt the wicket of Carl Hooper was crucial.

"But when Dominic Cork came in it looked as though he could lift the side again, but in the end it wasn't quite enough."

The Lancashire dressing room was full of disappointment at the 'so near yet so far' finale.

England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff, who opened and struck 15 before being caught by Ally Brown off Mahmood, said: "We were not happy with our performance really, we were in a good position to win the game, but we didn't

"I felt that we faded towards the end, but we still went into the last over just needing seven runs.

"I suppose 133 to 132 is very tight, there weren't too many boundaries, but we were unhappy not to have made the final."

The Lions were to face Leicestershire Foxes in the main event as the second semi-final was decided in much more emphatic style.

Darren Maddy belted 72 runs off just 39 balls as the Foxes set 165-5 and Glamorgan Dragons never matched the pace and were dismissed for 144.

So everything was set for holders Surrey as they won the toss and batted first in the final.

Brown's 64 helped them to 168-6, but with the light fading the Foxes shone under the floodlights.

The Leicestershire side included Australian Mark Cleary, who had been due to join Lancashire League side Colne this summer, East Lancs 1999 paid man Claude Henderson and West Indian star Otis Gibson, who was pro at Enfield in 1998, but it was Ramsbottom old boy Brad Hodge, who was at Acre Bottom in 2000 and 2001, who was the star turn.

The Foxes skipper was unbeaten on 77 as Jeremy Snape fired the winning four from the first ball of the last over and Surrey's reign as Twenty20 kings was over.

Twenty20 Cup

First Semi-Final

Lancashire Lightning v Surrey Lions

Surrey

A D Brown b Flintoff...32

J G E Benning b Anderson...16

S A Newman c Mongia b Flintoff...12

M R Ramprakash b Keedy...24

R Clarke lbw b Keedy...18

A J Hollioake c Hegg b Mongia...1

Azhar Mahmood c Chilton b Keedy...13

J N Batty c Chapple b Mongia...3

J Ormond not out...5

P J Sampson run out...0

N D Doshi b Anderson...1

Extras (lb5 w3 pens 0)...8

Total...133

Fall: 1-24, 2-61, 3-66, 4-109, 5-111, 6-111, 7-121, 8-127, 9-128

Bowling: Anderson 4-0-28-2, Chapple 2-0-28-0, Flintoff 3-0-15-2, Hooper 4-0-26-0, Keedy 4-0-25-3, Mongia 3-0-6-2

Lancashire

A Flintoff c Brown b Azhar Mahmood...15

S P Crook c Sub b Clarke...12

M J Chilton c & b Azhar Mahmood...11

D Mongia c Batty b Sampson...15

C L Hooper b Doshi...26

G Chapple lbw b Doshi...11

C P Schofield run out...8

D G Cork c Clarke b Hollioake...25

W K Hegg not out...3

Extras (lb6 pens 0)...6

Total (8 wkts)...132

Fall: 1-22, 2-37, 3-47, 4-63, 5-94, 6-95, 7-124 8-132

Did Not Bat: G Keedy, J M Anderson

Bowling: Azhar Mahmood 4-0-22-2, Clarke 4-0-31-1, Ormond 3-0-12-0, Sampson 1-0-5-1, Doshi 4-0-27-2, Hollioake 4-0-29-1

Surrey Lions beat Lancashire Lightning by 1 run

Second Semi-Final - Leicestershire Foxes 165-5 Innings Complete (D L Maddy 72) v Glamorgan Dragons 144 Leicestershire beat Glamorgan by 21 runs

Final - Edgbaston Surrey Lions 168-6 Innings Complete (A D Brown 64) v Leicestershire Foxes 169-3 (B J Hodge 77 no) Leicestershire beat Surrey by 7 wickets