Lancashire intent on restoring pride

Surrey have been warned to expect a Lancashire team hell-bent on revenge when the sides mett for the finale of the County Championship season at Old Trafford today.

Surrey have been warned to expect a Lancashire team hell-bent on revenge when the sides mett for the finale of the County Championship season at Old Trafford today.

The title-holders Surrey can keep the silverware in The Oval trophy cabinet as soon as they chalk up one bonus point, which they will gain merely by claiming three first-innings Lancashire wickets or scoring 200 themselves.

That would be enough to leave their opponents with the sole concern of battling it out with Yorkshire for the £50,000 runners-up prize in the First Division. But Lancashire's coach Bobby Simpson is desperate to make amends for the 272-run thrashing Surrey dished out to his team last month.

He said: "We want to show Surrey we're a good side. We beat them in the NatWest Trophy quarter-final this season, and it would be nice to beat them in the final game of the season.

"When we played them at The Oval earlier this season it was our worst performance of the summer, both with the bat and the ball. We've blown hot and cold for most of the season and we saved our worst performance for that match."

But Surrey's cricket manager, Keith Medlycott, is determined to finish the 2000 season on a high note. He said: "We have played fantastic cricket over the course of the season, and it would be fitting to finish the year with a win."

Lancashire's captain, John Crawley, will miss the match with appendicitis, but Surrey have no injury worries.

Yorkshire need to make the most of their game against all-but-relegated Hampshire at Southampton while hoping Lancashire have another off-match, but their opponents are determined that the last Championship match played at Southampton.