IAN Austin has followed Mike Atherton by announcing his retirement from first class cricket.

And it came with a parting shot at Lancashire and especially coach Bob Simpson.

Austin, the Haslingden professional, has hardly played for the club this season since signing a contract primarily for one-day cricket.

And the 35-year-old said: "The way things have gone this year, I'd rather do it this way than get shoved out.

"This year has been a waste of time. Without stating the obvious it's no secret why I haven't played."

Austin has been the most obvious victim of Simpson's attempts to rebuild the ageing Lancashire team, and he revealed that he has not even been to Old Trafford for the last eight weeks.

"But I'm not bitter and twisted," he added. "It's down to one bloke basically but I've got so many fond memories of the club after spending 15 years there.

"Right from my first year in 1986, when we won the second team championship, we have been successful.

"That's why the last two years have been hard to take when we haven't even challenged.

"I could understand them not playing me in the Championship because they wanted to bring younger players through.

"But in one-day cricket you've got to be able to do a job. The record books showed me that I still could but I wasn't playing.

"And our results have showed that something wasn't quite happening."

Chairman Jack Simmons said: "Ian has been a wonderful servant to the club and played a major part in Lancashire's success in all the major one-day tournaments in the 1990s."

He will stay with Haslingden next summer for the second year of his contract.

Meanwhile Lancashire are again without Warren Hegg for this evening's floodlit National League match against Sussex at Hove. Andy Flintoff has a side strain which will prevent him from bowling, but he will play as a batsman.