That was the verdict of both acting captain Luke Sutton and manager Mike Watkinson after a performance that was even more impressive considering the absence of four seniors.
"It was frustrating not to get the win, but we dominated the game from day one and played very well," said Sutton, who made a big impression in his role as deputy for the injured Stuart Law.
"Our four-day cricket up to the game against Yorkshire had been a bit indifferent but now we've got some confidence back with the bat and a bit more energy in the field."
"We've come out with a draw but I'm really pleased with the performance," added Watkinson.
"There were so many positives and the energy provided by younger players like Croft, Horton and Du Plessis should put us in good stead for Twenty20.
Lancashire took 11 points, two more than Notts, but they were on course for a 21-point victory after Dominic Cork backed up Sutton's positive pre-lunch declaration with a stunning burst of three wickets in four balls.
He had Will Jefferson lbw, Mark Wagh caught behind down the leg side by a tumbling Sutton, and then celebrated wildly after bowling Samit Patel with his next ball.
But the 36-year-old hardly bowled after being denied a second Old Trafford hat-trick after his famous treble for England against West Indies in 1996.
Rewards
"Dominic was magnificent for us in the first and second innings," added Sutton.
"It was hard work for the seamers on a very good pitch, but he made plenty of noise and made things happen. He got us started but unfortunately we couldn't go any further, and the wicket won in the end.
"The thing with Dominic is he's not 21 any more, and spells like that take a lot out of him. So even though it's very tempting to keep pushing him, the rewards aren't going to be great."
Gary Keedy was unable to make any impression and the only other wicket went to the occasional leg spin of Francois Du Plessis, who had Paul Franks caught at slip by Cork during a six-over spell before tea.
Sajid Mahmood was struggling with an ankle injury but Watkinson expects him to be fit for the Twenty20 opener at Leicester - when Law will return as captain after two weeks out with a broken finger, and Sutton will lose his place in the team with Gareth Cross taking over as wicket keeper. But Glen Chapple is still at least a week away from a return as he awaits the results of more scans on his deep-seated groin injury.
Meanwhile, Andrew Flintoff took the first small step in his latest comeback on Monday when he batted in the Old Trafford nets for the first time since he suffered his side strain on May 8 and could play for the seconds next week.
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