LANCASHIRE have turned to Jamie Haynes to solve their opening problem in the crucial Cricinfo Championship showdown with Surrey which starts at the Oval on Friday.

The Bristol-born, Aussie-raised reserve wicket keeper has won the nod ahead of Ryan Driver to replace Mike Atherton, who is taking a break ahead of the Ashes series.

Haynes has been opening for the second team all season and hit two half centuries against Derbyshire last week.

"We have been looking at this as an option all year," explained coach Bob Simpson.

"He is what I would describe as a compact batsman which is the sort of thing you are looking for from an opener."

Haynes has made only one first-team appearance this season, making 29 in the Benson and Hedges Cup defeat by Durham at Liverpool, although he also played in the first class match against Durham University.

He has made six previous first class appearances with a reasonable average of 35.

It is the second consecutive year that Lancashire have been forced to find a new opener at the Oval.

Last summer they sprung an even bigger surprise by thrusting Glen Chapple to the top of the order in an attempt to save the specialist batsmen to face Saqlain Mushtaq later in the innings -- but it didn't work, as Chapple failed twice and Lancashire went down to a defeat which ultimately cost them the title.

Lancashire will take a 12-man squad south for the games against Surrey followed by Kent at Canterbury, with Gary Keedy, Joe Scuderi and Mike Smethurst again included ahead of Chris Schofield.

But Schofield retains his place in the one-day team for tomorrow's Cheltenham and Gloucester Trophy match against the Warwickshire Cricket Board XI at Stanley Park, Blackpool.

Meanwhile, those vying for a spot in Australia's top six for the Ashes opener at Edgbaston next week are likely to get another opportunity to press their claims later today at Arundel.

Current Test players Michael Slater, Justin Langer and Matthew Hayden struggled against the MCC attack yesterday as the tourists slumped to 64-6 before being rescued by Simon Katich.

The Western Australian hammered an unbeaten 168, including 27 fours and a six, to push his claims for a place in the XI that takes the field in Birmingham.

Katich, 25, notched his first century for his country while alongside Shane Warne (69) in a seventh-wicket stand of 190 as Australia made 390 after Steve Waugh had won the toss on a blisteringly hot day.

With the hosts crumbling to 82-6 in response and with Mark Richardson, 31 not out overnight, left with just the tail for company, Australia were not expected to take long to wrap up the innings this morning. But Waugh will almost certainly opt not to enforce the follow-on with time in the middle crucial to the top order with just one more first-class fixture before the Ashes begins. Despite his run-a-ball knock, Katich refused to be drawn on the prospect of making his Test debut saying: "I haven't looked at that.

"As a fringe player all I can try and do is stay in form. It was great to get a game here because I wasn't sure if I would play."

Waugh was the only other recognised batsman to make a mark with 45, combining with Katich to steer the Aussies away from danger after Queenslander Joe Dawes' early four-wicket burst.

"I got the word from Steve that the wicket was pretty good so when I got out there I was pretty confident of playing straight," added former Durham man Katich.

"I was just enjoying being out there with Tugger because it was the first time I have batted with him - I was just savouring the moment."