LANCASHIRE captain John Crawley today took full charge from coach Dav Whatmore and insisted: "I can handle it."

Although Whatmore will not officially leave the club until the end of the month, he did not travel to Blackpool for the start of the crucial Championship match against Glamorgan.

That left a heavy load on the shoulders of Crawley, with the support of his new vice-captain Warren Hegg and other senior players like Neil Fairbrother and Mike Atherton.

But Crawley was not fazed by the extra responsibility.

"It is an extra workload to take on, but I think it could bring us closer together," he said. "We're all determined to get on a roll."

Lancashire are facing a tough battle to avoid relegation to the Second Division when the Championship splits in two at the end of the season. They went into the Glamorgan game third from bottom, 22 points behind ninth-placed Yorkshire.

But Crawley was boosted by the return of Atherton for his second Championship appearance of the season and Glen Chapple was also available again after proving his recovery from a wrist injury.

The game presented Crawley and Andy Flintoff with a chance to impress the new England coach Duncan Fletcher.

Zimbabwean Fletcher will take over the England team at the end of the season, and Crawley and Flintoff are both hoping for a place on the winter tour of South Africa. But for the moment, their priority must be with Lancashire - and keeping them in the First Division.

England paceman Darren Gough is taking a low key approach as he attempts to complete a comeback from injury to return to the England side for next week's second Test against New Zealand at Lord's.

Gough ended a month on the sidelines, with a double calf tear, by sending down 14 overs, spread over three spells, for Yorkshire in their County Championship match with Warwickshire at Edgbaston.

The 28-year-old said he had been praised by the watching England bowling coach Bob Cottam, as he picked up the wicket of Anurag Singh at a cost of 39 runs on a rain-hit day which saw the home side make 163 for four from 56 overs.

But he insisted he was channelling all his thoughts into playing for the Tykes - and that whether or not he was recalled against the Kiwis was in the hands of the England selectors.

Gough said: "I am very satisfied with the way the first day went. Originally I came to Edgbaston with the idea of bowling in the nets this week and building my strength up that way.

"But the club had a couple of injuries, I was pleased how things went in a couple of sessions in the nets on Monday and Tuesday morning and I was selected to play. "I was pleased. I was striving very hard in the first three or four overs but when I switched ends and came down the hill I got into a good rhythm and felt good.

"I spoke to the England bowling coach (Bob Cottam) and he told me that everything looked fine and that I had bowled well which was good to hear."

"I'm fit to play and if that is the case I am going to cause batsmen problems. I caused them problems today and I am sure I will do the same on Wednesday."

England captain Nasser Hussain has said that Gough would return to the side if he proved his fitness after he was ruled out of the first Test success at Edgbaston.

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