PADDY McKeown has pledged to keep battling for his big breakthrough with Lancashire despite a frustrating 1999.

The 23-year-old from Crosby has been Lancashire's leading second team run getter with 837 at an average of 39, but has not had a sniff of the first team since the rain-ruined match against Gloucestershire at Bristol in June.

"I'm not happy with the year I've had," McKeown reflected. "I don't feel that I've been in great form and I'm disappointed at not getting much of an opportunity in the first team for so long.

"I have come out all right in the second team. But I'm 23 now and I'm looking to try and go that next step. And there have been times when it has been difficult to see a light at the end of the tunnel."

McKeown has an option in his contract allowing him to leave if he feels he has better prospects of first team cricket elsewhere. "But the club have told me that they want me to stay," he revealed. "They said they see me as the next cab off the rank when there is an opening for a batsman.

"That's nice but obviously it is what happens that matters, not what's said. I want to play at Lancashire, there's never been any doubt about that, but I don't want to be in Steve Titchard's position where I get to 28 or 29 and I'm still not established in the first team."

McKeown is planning some hard work in the nets this winter in a bid to put even more pressure on Lancashire's established batsmen next year.

His runs, which included big centuries against Surrey at the Oval and Derbyshire at Lytham, have helped the second team to finish third in their championship following a convincing win in their last game against Hampshire at Old Trafford last week.

Nathan Wood, Mike Watkinson and Mark Harvey all hit half centuries as Lancashire piled up 409-9 declared in reply to Hampshire's 102 all out. Then Paul. Ridgway, who ended up as the leading wicket taker with 42 at an average of 17.8 in his best season so far, grabbed five for 42 as Hampshire were skittled for 186 in their second innings.

Other consistent performers for the seconds have been Harvey, who also scored more than 800 runs at an average of almost 40 and Gary Yates, while skipper Peter Sleep topped the bowling averages with seven wickets at a measly nine apiece.

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