Horton has scored 327 first-class runs so far this summer

Lancashire batsman Paul Horton says extending their unbeaten start to the County Championship run is important going into Saturday's Roses Match.

Set 336 from 85 overs to win against Essex, Lancashire, unbeaten in four-day cricket since last June, eked out 177-5 to take a welcome six points.

Now the Red Rose take on old rivals Yorkshire at Headingley on Saturday.

"We've not lost in 16 first-class games so to keep the record intact was good," Horton told BBC Radio Manchester.

"We were keen to save the game. And to do that we needed to bat better than the first knock.

"We just managed it, apart from a few hiccups at the end, to come away with a draw."

Horton led the way with 64, only the second time he has passed 50 in six Championship matches this season. But he admits that survival, rather than boldness, was the key.

"360 was always going to be too much to chase if you look at the way the scoring went in the whole course of the game," he said.

"It wasn't an easy scoring sort of wicket. So to chase 360 batting last in 80-odd overs, we were never going to do that."

Horton is named in a 13-man squad for the third v first meeting at Headingley with Championship leaders Yorkshire.

The Tykes' midweek draw against Hampshire took them two points ahead of Nottinghamshire, who, admittedly have two games in hand, nine clear of third-placed Lancashire.

Yorkshire (expected): A W Gale (capt), A Lyth, J J Sayers, A McGrath, J A Rudolph, J M Bairstow (wk), R M Pyrah, A U Rashid, S A Patterson, T L Best, O J Hannon-Dalby.

Lancashire (from): G Chapple (capt), L D Sutton (wk), M J Chilton, S J Croft, K W Hogg, P J Horton, S C Kerrigan, Sajid Mahmood, S C Moore, A G Prince, D B L Powell, L A Procter, T C Smith.

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