BEN Lindsay has been named in the Great Britain Cross Country Under-20 Team for the IAAF World Championships after his best ever run over the country.

Already a junior fell international, the Pendle athlete switched his focus this season following a hamstring injury which halted his progress last year, and he came up trumps on Saturday at the Inter-Counties Race held at Wollaton Park in Nottingham.

While the senior team had been picked a month ago so that the athletes could acclimatise before competing in Mombasa, Kenya, the attention was on the under 20s on Saturday. Lindsay finished sixth over a muddy eight mile course, and the top six were duly selected for the African trip.

Mum Madeline said he was "over the moon" when he phoned her after the race, adding that it was a perfect birthday present for her.

Pendle Athletic Club members are equally thrilled and have been in touch with his former school, Fisher More in Colne, who first spotted his potential.

The 18-year old is back at St Mary's College in Twickenham where he is in the first year of a course in Sports Science and Nutrition, but is looking forward to the World Championships on March 24.

Lancashire won team silver in the under 15 girls event as their four counters all finished in the first 33 out of a field of nearly 300 county class athletes.

Emma Flanagan from Rossendale Harriers was the fourth counter, although she was a single second behind Jenny Davies from Blackpool.

Kristie Leybourne, also Blackpool, was 13th with Gemma Astin from the Isle of Man 24th.

Three more Lancashire squads narrowly missed team medals as the county enjoyed a successful outing.

Ben Fish of Blackburn Harriers was 20th in the ever competitive senior men's race to help them to fourth and two more Blackburn Harriers scored for the under 17 women as they placed fifth.

Alison Leonard and Rachel Searson took 13th and 40th to be second and third counters while Lancaster's Hannah Bateson was the highest placed Lancashire runner in any race with fifth.

For the under 13 girls, Beckie Taylor, yet another Blackburn Harrier, was 21st and second counter as they were fifth team.

Clayton's Candice Leah is in fine form and finished 39th of the senior women as junior fell international Katie Ingram came home 52nd.

Katie's old club Chorley Harriers had one top 50 finisher as James Bretherton was 43rd and second Lancastrian in the under 13 boys race.