LANCASHIRE could spring a big surprise in tonight's floodlit National League match against Gloucestershire at Old Trafford by opening with Neil Fairbrother.

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The 38-year-old has only gone in first on a handful of occasions in his long career, but cricket manager Mike Watkinson revealed that he was in line to take over from the injured David Byas as Mark Chilton's partner.

Lancashire are also boosted by Andy Flintoff's return from England duty to form a formidable batting line-up with Fairbrother and Stuart Law, and Chris Schofield and John Wood also come back into the regular one-day line-up.

The game starts at 4.05pm with the usual off-field attractions such as barbecues, bouncy castles and cricket coaching in the indoor school.

Lancashire stay fourth in the Frizzell County Championship First Division after yesterday's rain allowed them to escape with a draw against Surrey.

"Given the situation of the match we're happy to walk away with a draw," said Watkinson, and the whole team were surprised and delighted when Surrey let them off the hook by not enforcing that follow-on on Sunday.

But Watkinson admitted to growing concerns about Lancashire's poor batting form in the first innings of Championship matches.

"It's something that goes back beyond this season and we can't always be relying on rearguard rescue acts," he said.

"We've had another talk about it and we'll be looking to do something different, whether that means playing with more intensity or perhaps relaxing more."

Steve Kirby, Yorkshire's Ainsworth-born paceman, has become the first cricketer to be given disciplinary points and is heading for a two-match ban and being punished by umpires following a series of clashes with Leicestershire batsman Darren Maddy in their latest Championship match.