Lancs want permanent light

They have submitted plans for a ring of eight 50-metre pylons around Old Trafford.

It could pave the way for regular day-night internationals in Manchester, and maybe even a national floodlit Cricket league featuring Lancashire Lightning.

But first Lancashire need the go-ahead from Trafford Borough Council -- and then chief executive Jim Cumbes estimates they would need to raise £750,000.

Warwickshire have already had two applications to install permanent floodlights at Edgbaston turned down by complaints from local residents. But Cumbes is optimistic that Lancashire will have more joy.

"Looking at the computer-enhanced drawing and being conscious of the area around here, I'd be fairly hopeful," he said.

"Trafford are a go-ahead council anyway, they're not going to say no just to be stick in the muds. It's a matter of convincing the residents that it's not going to impinge on their privacy."

Lancashire have made the decision to go for permanent lights following the success of floodlit matches at Old Trafford in the last three summers despite a number of problems with the temporary floodlights that have been used.

High winds have affected matches against Northants and Notts, and the lights have gone out in two Roses clashes when the generator needed to power them has failed -- problems which would not arise with permanent lights such as those at the Test grounds in Australia, South Africa, India and Pakistan.

"We just see it as a requirement for cricket," added Cumbes. "If you're going to move forward at all you've got to look at these kind of things, otherwise the game stands still.

"We've seen that our domestic matches under lights have been well-attended. It looks as though internationally people want to play more floodlit cricket. In the future maybe even in Test matches and domestic cricket you might be able to use lights if there is bad light. So it is friendly to the game."

Cumbes expects Trafford's verdict within eight weeks, but admits that only then would the hard work start.

"We don't know yet what sort of cost we might be talking about," he said. "We think in the region of £750,000 and quite frankly we haven't got that at the moment."

"Obviously if we got the planning permission we have to look at how we raise the money. It might be sponsorship, It may just be that if we have a decent summer this year and get good crowds at floodlit matches -- four national league games an an England-Australia international -- we may be able to say the payback period is x number of years. We may even be able to get some help from the English Cricket Board if we're going to state international matches."

So it is possible that work could start as early as next winter, maintaining Lancashire's reputation as one of the most go-ahead clubs in county cricket. But for the moment, those plans are in the hands of the local residents and Trafford Borough Council.

LANCASHIRE have applied for planning permission to build the first permanent floodlights at an English Test Match ground.

They have submitted plans for a ring of eight 50-metre pylons around Old Trafford.

It could pave the way for regular day-night internationals in Manchester, and maybe even a national floodlit cricket league featuring Lancashire Lightning.

But first Lancashire need the go-ahead from Trafford Borough Council -- and then chief executive Jim Cumbes estimates they would need to raise £750,000.

Warwickshire have already had two applications to install permanent floodlights at Edgbaston turned down by complaints from local residents. But Cumbes is optimistic that Lancashire will have more joy.

"Looking at the computer-enhanced drawing and being conscious of the area around here, I'd be fairly hopeful," he said. "Trafford are a go-ahead council, they're not going to say no just to be stick in the muds. It's a matter of convincing the residents that it's not going to impinge on their privacy."

Lancashire have made the decision to go for permanent lights following the success of floodlit matches at Old Trafford in the last three summers despite a number of problems with the temporary floodlights that have been used.

High winds have affected matches against Northants and Notts, and the lights have gone out in two Roses clashes when the generator needed to power them has failed -- problems which would not arise with permanent lights such as those at the Test grounds in Australia, South Africa or India.

"We just see it as a requirement for cricket," added Cumbes. "If you're going to move forward at all you've got to look at these kind of things, otherwise the game stands still.

"We've seen that our domestic matches under lights have been well-attended. It looks as though internationally people want to play more floodlit cricket. In the future maybe even in Test matches and domestic cricket you might be able to use lights if there is bad light. So it is friendly to the game."

Cumbes expects Trafford's verdict within eight weeks, but admits that only then would the hard work start. "We don't know yet what sort of cost we might be talking about," he said. "We think in the region of £750,000 and quite frankly we haven't got that at the moment.

"If we got the planning permission we have to look at how we raise the money. It might be sponsorship."