LANCASHIRE'S six-wicket hero Glen Chapple has blasted back at Mike Atherton after the former England skipper criticised the club for not playing young Lancastrians.

Veteran Chapple produced a stunning spell of bowling at Liverpool yesterday to guide his side to a remarkable 70-run County Championship victory over Kent.

Having been bowled out for just 107 on the opening day, Lancashire rallied to set the visitors a target of 163 on day three and then skittled Kent out for just 92, with Chapple claiming 6-40.

The crucial win lifts them away from the Division One relegation zone and above Kent and, depending on other results today, gives them a great chance of avoiding relegation as they take on Somerset at Taunton in the final match next week.

Earlier in the week Atherton, who is an honarary vice- president of the club, said Lancashire were "in a shambolic state" and criticised them for being reluctant to "show faith in their own" and for "resorting to short-term fixes from overseas."

Just this week they handed ten young Lancastrians new contracts and fielded five Lancashire-born players in the side which beat Kent, while Sajid Mahmood was out injured and Andrew Flintoff and Jimmy Anderson were unavailable because of England commitments.

And the club have been criticised for releasing Dominic Cork, a decision made to help younger local players come into the first team: "He just talks a load of rubbish at times," said Chapple, a former team-mate of Atherton.

"It annoys me, to be perfectly honest.

"He doesn't really spend much time at the club, I don't think he cares. He might care, but he doesn't seem like he does.

"From my perspective we have had eight years of playing very good cricket, admittedly with not enough success.

"But we have been second, 20-odd runs from winning the Championship last year, a Lord's final two years ago. If they think that is bad cricket, then they are talking absolute garbage.

"I don't think ex-players should talk like that, they should think a bit more. I think he is wrong."

Cricket manager Mike Watkinson believes the fact that his side included so many Lancastrians made yesterday's stunning victory even sweeter against a Kent side which had seven players born overseas.

"The nature of the side we have got, with young Lancastrians, makes the win very satisfying," said Watkinson, who has not been afraid of dropping more experienced players like Mal Loye and Lou Vincent, who are out of form, and left out Cork in favour of Tom Smith, Oliver Newby and 20-year-old Karl Brown.

"It is out of design, out of necessity and out of what we think is the right thing. Those guys are going to be around for the years ahead and moments like this are going to be defining for them.

"We are up against a lot of experienced cricketers, many have learned their trade overseas and for our young guys to match them is fantastic.

"We did get relegated in the Pro40 and you can see people are circling to pick us off with a bit more bad news, I think we have responded magnificently to that."

Going into the day just 131 ahead with three wickets left, Lancashire added only 31 as Yasir Arafat claimed three wickets in a ten-ball spell, including that of Chapple for 45.

But then the 34-year-old took charge with the ball, bowling 19 overs on the bounce either side of lunch with pace and accuracy to finish with match figures of 9-101.