LANCASHIRE batsman Paul Horton hit his maiden first-class century as the Red Rose county batted out the final day of their LV County Championship clash against Worcestershire for a draw.

The 24-year-old recorded a fabulous 139 to end any hopes the visitors had of claiming their first Division One win of the season at Old Trafford.

The Pears had gone into day four hoping to capitalise on their first innings lead of 166 - it had been reduced to 103 late on day three - and move off the bottom of the table.

But Horton and his captain Mark Chilton built on their overnight opening stand of 63 to take the score to 165 for nought before Chilton was caught at short leg for 59 from the bowling of off-spinner Gareth Batty.

Horton, who spent the winter in Australia playing second XI state cricket for the Canberra Comets, fell one short of a ton against Essex in the Championship back in 2005.

This time though, his century came off 212 balls and contained 16 boundaries.

Early bad light reduced the day's allocation of overs by 13 and also took the sting out of any early momentum the visitors attempted to gather.

Perhaps that lack of momentum was also something to do with the absence of their main strike bowler Kabir Ali, who was hit on the head by a fierce James Anderson delivery n Thursday.