DAVID Lloyd will follow his fellow Lancastrians Mike Atherton and Bob Bennett out of the hierarchy of English Cricket this summer with, like them, his mission not quite accomplished.

Lloyd, who announced yesterday that he would quit after the World Cup after the English Cricket Board refused to guarantee him a new three-year contract, has definitely taken the national team forward since inheriting the mess left by Ray Illingworth in April 1996.

World Cup victory would be some way to bow out - and Atherton and Neil Fairbrother both said today that Lloyd's departure would make the England players doubly determined to send their popular coach out in style - but Lloyd, like Atherton, had set his heart on regaining the Ashes - a task his team failed this winter.

The Ashes defeat probably cost him his chances of a new deal, especially with Bennett replaced as chairman of the England management committee by Brian Bolus, a close friend of Illingworth.

And there were always some Lord's' officials who seemed suspicious of his Accrington bluntness, especially when it landed him in hot water with his "flippin' murdered them" comments in Zimbabwe and his criticism of new Lancashire signing Muttiah Muralitharan last summer - while Lloyd was never a fan of the behind-the-scenes intrigue.

But as Fairbrother pointed out: "Bumble has taken England forward when you recall that we were in a bit of a state when he took over. He's the most enthusiastic coach I've ever worked with and how many other England coaches have been involved in three series wins?" Those wins came over India, New Zealand and last summer South Africa, leaving Lloyd with a record of nine wins and 13 losses in 34 Tests. Not bad, but not outstanding - and not good enough for Lord's.

Lloyd will announce his future plans at Old Trafford tomorrow, but he will not be returning to Lancashire - for the moment at least.

He has already been bombarded with offers from the media, with Channel 4 the favourites to snap him up for their new-look Test coverage later this summer. Lancashire couldn't hope to compete with that sort of money and anyway, Dav Whatmore recently signed a new two-year contract as coach after guiding the county to such a successful 1998 season.

Whatmore has been mentioned amongst the possible successors to Lloyd's England job but, although he couldn't be contacted on Lancashire's pre-season tour of South Africa today, that seems very unlikely with the likes of Bob Woolmer, Graham Gooch, Mike Gatting, John Emburey and maybe even the Leicestershire combination of James Whitaker and Jack Birkenshaw ahead of him in the betting.

But don't rule out a Lancashire return for Bumble some time in the future. He clearly relished every second of his spell as county coach, when he established himself as the leading contender for the England job, and winning the Championship with Lancashire would be an achievement to rank with winning the Ashes for England.

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