CHESHIRE hopes of a Twickenham day out faded as they suffered an agonizing defeat at the hands of Lancashire at the start of the County Championship group stages last Saturday.

It finished 21-18 to Lancashire at Chester and now the home county must win their other two games in the Northern group and hope that Lancashire and Yorkshire slip up elsewhere.

It was always close at Hare Lane but the odds are now stacked against Cheshire.

They play their second match this Saturday against Yorkshire at Doncaster and then head to Mowden Park seven days later to take on Durham.

Yorkshire finished 33-12 to the good against Durham in the other match in the Cheshire group.