THREE Lancashire youngsters staked their claims for places in the Old Trafford championship line-up when they combined to destroy Cambridge University.

Mike Smethurst demolished the students in their second innings with 4-15 from 11 overs and they crumbled to 32-6, only 48 ahead.

Mark Chilton earned a place in the record books by hitting the earliest century in any season, finishing with 106 not out in Lancashire's 245-1 declared.

And Paddy McKeown hit a career best 74 not out sharing in an unbroken stand of 156 with Chilton, who finished on 106.

All three are likely to play against Sussex in the first championship match at Old Trafford next week.

Cambridge collapsed from 29-1 to 29-6 in a devastating 23 balls spell from Smethurst and Richard Green and Lancashire were ready to wrap up a comfortable victory today.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.