Loye said his 146 against Yorks was his best inning for a decade

Lancashire's Mal Loye says maximum points against Yorkshire can push them back into the Championship title race.

After the Red Rose County declared on 489-5 in reply to the Tykes' 181 all out, Yorkshire began the final day on 71-2 in the second innings, 237 behind.

Loye told BBC Radio Manchester: "Peter Moores has said if we get maximum points, we're back in the title race.

"It kinds of gives us that gap from the bottom so we can focus for the last third on Durham, Notts and Somerset."

"It's easy to say Durham are going to shoot off with it but I think it's a bit of both - moving away from the bottom and focusing on the top," the batsman added.

"I think we were 310 ahead at the changeover which was a little bit psychological and it gave us plenty of time to bowl them out.

"If they bat well, they'll bat past us so it was runs on the board, that was the mentality and the thinking behind batting on.

"It's a pretty good deck now, in fairness. Obviously, Gary Keedy and Adil Rashid both turned it so on Monday the spinners will be crucial and maybe [Francois] Du Plessis will come into his own as well."

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