Lancashire Lightning produced a fine display in the field to close to within a point of NatWest Pro40 Division Two leaders Kent Spitfires at Old Trafford on Sunday.

Kent, who won the toss and elected to bat, were bowled out for 162 in their 40 overs thanks to three wickets for all-rounder Steven Mullaney and two each for spinners Stephen Parry and Gary Keedy.

Mullaney and Paul Horton both took stunning catches, to get rid of Azhar Mahmood and Justin Kemp (44).

Lancashire, who have two games remaining to overhaul Kent's lead, were 80 for one in the 18th over and well ahead of the Duckworth Lewis par score when rain forced an end to proceedings. They won by 25 runs on the D/L method.

Medium-pacer Mullaney had played just one Twenty20 Cup match so far in 2009 but picked up the wickets of Alex Blake with his third ball, Kemp and James Goodman in a seven-over spell that went for 36 runs.

James Tredwell opened the batting and struggled for 27 off 64 balls until he was put out of his misery when he mistimed a sweep from left-arm spinner Parry to Mal Loye at short fine-leg.

That was the second of four wickets to fall in five overs as Kent slipped from 76 for two to 94 for six in the 26th.

Mullaney's catch was running around to long-on to get rid of Mahmood, presenting Steven Croft with a wicket with his second ball.

Spitfires' captain for the day Kemp then shared an eighth-wicket partnership of 38 in five overs with Goodman, before the former cracked Mullaney to deep midwicket - where Horton pulled off a stunning one-handed catch, diving away to his left.

Rob Ferley was run out by Horton with the last ball to bowl the visitors out.

Horton and Loye then gave the Lightning a steady start to their reply, reaching 44 for none off the first 10 overs.

Horton was the aggressor and reached his fourth score of 50 or more in one-day cricket this season off 53 balls, with nine fours.

The ninth was a sweep off Darren Stevens to reach the milestone, but he fell two balls later for 51 trying to repeat the dose and was caught by Kemp at short midwicket.