Lancashire victorious depite Law's two tons

Muttiah Muralitharan earned match figures of ten for 123 as Lancashire crushed Essex by nine wickets to claim their third consecutive Championship win despite a century in each innings from Stuart Law.

The overseas players continued to dominate on the last day at Old Trafford with Murali taking three of the last six wickets as Essex were all out for 257, with Law left high and dry for the second time in the match, this time on 120.

Lancashire were left needing only 53 to win, and took 19 points to climb to second in the First Division table, leaving Essex in the relegation zone.

But that was so tough on Law, who has now scored 305 runs in three Championship innings without being dismissed following his unbeaten 116 in the first innings, and 66 not out in Essex's last game against Surrey.

This was the second time he has scored two centuries in a match for Essex, the other coming against Yorkshire at Chelmsford in 1999, and took his ton tally for the county to 29 in less than six seasons.

And although both Michael Bevan and Mark Ramprakash scored two centuries in a Championship match last season, Ramprakash also ending on the losing side, Law became the first player to record a pair of unbeaten hundreds in the Championship since Hugh Morris for Glamorgan against Notts in 1995.

But Muralitharan was not to be outdone.

The Sri Lankan had Stephen Peters caught at silly point, Ricky Anderson lbw and bowled Barry Hyam with a ball which turned prodigiously from well outside off stump to complete second innings figures of four for 70 from 39 overs.

That gave him match figures of 87-36-123-10, the sixth time he has taken ten wickets in a match for Lancashire in only 11 appearances, and he did not bowl in one of those.

Muralitharan has now taken a total of 94 Championship wickets for Lancashire, and six more against Surrey at The Oval next week would take him into three figures in only 12 matches - probably the fastest century of wickets in Lancashire history.