LANCASHIRE set off on their quest for another Lord's final tomorrow in the unlikely surroundings of Cleethorpes.
They were expected to make an historic trip to Amsterdam in the third round of the NatWest Trophy, but Lincolnshire's shock victory over Holland last month has kept them closer to home.
"Holland would have been interesting, but I've never been to Cleethorpes either," said Lancashire's Graham Lloyd.
Lancashire will be red hot favourites to beat Lincolnshire and book a probable fourth round tie at home to Ronnie Irani's Essex on July 5.
But Lincolnshire have ambitious plans to follow Durham by achieving first class status, although that would be playing at either Lincoln or Sleaford. Their team includes a number of survivors from their last game against Lancashire at Old Trafford a dozen years ago including former Notts batsman Mark Fell and seam bowler David Christmas. But probably the most familiar name is that of Steve Plumb, the grand old man of Minor Counties cricket.
Plumb is now 46 and after spending most of his career with Norfolk he has moved across the Wash to join Lincolnshire.
He took four wickets in the victory over Holland, but it is as a batsman that he will pose the greatest threat to Lancashire as one of the most prolific players in Minor Counties history, with more than 11,000 runs to his name.
"It's a fantastic draw for us, the equivalent of a Third Division club drawing Manchester Utd in the FA Cup," said Fell.
Lancashire are selecting from a full strength 13-man squad other than the injured Peter Martin, with Mike Watkinson again included.
Lancs (from): Atherton, Crawley, Flintoff, Ganguly, Fairbrother, Lloyd, Hegg, Schofield, Austin, Chapple, Smethurst, Scuderi, Watkinson.
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