GRAHAM Lloyd only made 15 on his return to the Lancashire side under the Old Trafford floodlights on Saturday - but he still won them the match.

Lloyd, who has not played a Championship match all season and had been left out of Lightning's last three National League matches, provided a timely reminder of his fielding ability with a brilliant catch to dismiss Stuart Law.

Essex's Aussie run machine, who will surely be a Lancashire target if they decide to look for a new overseas player next season, had just reached his third century in as many days at Old Trafford, from only 90 balls.

And with Essex going well at 191 for four in the 35th over in pursuit of 254, he was threatening to inflict a demoralising defeat on Lancashire - and deflate the mood of an encouraging 6775 crowd.

But then Law launched Muttiah Muralitharan towards mid wicket and Lloyd sprinted in to take a tumbling catch. Bumble, who has had such a difficult start to his testimonial year with Lancashire, was mobbed by his team-mates.

They gave Law yet another generous round of applause as he walked back to the pavilion after his first dismissal of the week, with a tidy 347 runs in the bank.

And the rest of the Essex batting fell in a heap, with Warren Hegg claiming two stumpings and a diving catch off Chris Schofield to give the leg-spinner figures of four for 41 as Lancashire won by 37 runs.

Earlier Glen Chapple had fired a message to England captain Nasser Hussain by trapping him lbw for 21 on his comeback from a broken thumb.

But the win had been set up by yet another masterful one-day century by Neil Fairbrother.

The veteran left-hander, who loves the atmosphere created at Old Trafford by floodlit matches, hit his sixth century in what used to be the Sunday League.

Lancashire were in a spot of bother at 57 for three until Fairbrother joined John Crawley to add 151 in 24 overs. Crawley hit 63, his first National League half century of the season, but Fairbrother dominated the stand, reaching 50 from 51 balls and racing to three figures in only 34 more with a total of 10 fours and two sixes.

That left Lloyd with a limited opportunity to prove his point with the bat -- but he still came up with a catch which revived Lancashire's promotion hopes.