LANCASHIRE coach Dav Whatmore today shrugged off Monday's AXA League setback at Essex as his side squared up to Surrey at The Oval.

Lancashire went into the Benson and Hedges Cup quarter-final on the back of their first limited overs defeat in eight matches.

Whatmore said today: " That does not affect our confidence for the Surrey game. We had to lose sometime, but we are still playing very well.

Graham Thorpe and Wasim Akram were having fitness tests this morning, with Lancashire encouraged by a specialists report on Wasim's shoulder injury.

But the tie is set for disruption by the weather with grey skies over London and a poor forecast.

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