LANCASHIRE have resigned themselves to the blow of having to play their Benson and Hedges Cup semi on the same day as England play Argentina in the World Cup.
Normally they would hope for a gate of over 10,000 for the clash with Warwickshire on June 7 but now they will be lucky to get 5,000.
"There is nothing we can do about it, except hope that we book a really big day by getting through to Lord's," said an Old Trafford spokesman.
The match is the second of the semis, both broadcast by Sky, and the only way of changing it was to switch it to earlier in the week.
But Lancashire have a floodlit game against Gloucester already fixed for the Tuesday, and arrangements for that are too far advanced to reschedule it.
Lancashire will cut ticket prices for anyone wanting to go to Old Trafford just to watch the second innings of the match.
Meanwhile, Neil Fairbrother has been pencilled in for his first outing of the season at Old Trafford on Friday when Lancashire take on title favourites Surrey. Fairbrother, who suffered a blood clot after a knee operation last February, is in a squad of 13.
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