LANCASHIRE have been handed a triple boost by England coach Duncan Fletcher.

Pace bowler Sajid Mahmood returns from England duty to boost Lancashire in their Twenty20 Cup game at Derby tonight, and both Andrew Flintoff and James Anderson have been cleared to play in next week's games against Yorkshire and Notts by England coach Fletcher.

With Glen Chapple also set to play tonight after his head injury, and Carl Hooper available again for tomorrow's game at Durham, Lancashire are suddenly starting to look something like the team who had such a good start to the season before they were hit by injuries and international calls.

But after losing their opening Twenty20 group game against Leicestershire last week, they need wins against Derbyshire and Durham in the next 48 hours if even Flintoff is to have any chance of firing them into the quarter-finals.

Like Lancashire, Sajid will be aiming to bounce back after a frustrating first taste of international cricket.

The young paceman only played in one of England's six games in the NatWest triangular series, and looked understandably nervous when he did finally get a game against New Zealand in Bristol at the weekend.

But despite the surprise presence of Sajid and Chapple, all eyes at Derby tonight will be on Dominic Cork.

With Derbyshire in the Second Division of both the Championship and totesport League, this will be Cork's only return this season to the ground where he spent 14 seasons after making his debut in 1990.

He admits he's expecting a lively reception, both from former team-mates and Derbyshire supporters.

But the former England all-rounder has been in his best form yet for Lancashire with the bat in recent weeks, with a spectacular half century in the C&G Trophy defeat by Yorkshire, and a patient 74 in the Championship game against Northants.

It will also be a farewell appearance for Dinesh Mongia, the Indian who has done a solid job since he was registered for three weeks as a replacement for Hooper.

Derbyshire also lost their first Twenty20 game, in a dramatic last ball finish against Yorkshire, but they had an impressive totesport League win against Notts at Trent Bridge last Sunday.

LANCASHIRE (from): Loye, Crook, Law, Mongia, Cork, Schofield, Hegg, Chapple, Wood, Sajid, Newby, Keedy.