LANCASHIRE coach Dav Whatmore today shrugged off Monday's Axa League setback at Essex as his side squared up to Surrey at The Oval.

Lancashire went into the Benson and Hedges Cup quarter final on the back of their first limited overs defeat in eight matches, mainly thanks to a one-man wonder show from Ronnie Irani.

But Whatmore said today: "That does not affect our confidence for the Surrey game. We had to lose some time, but we are still playing very well."

Surrey are hardly in top form either. The B&H holders were crushed in both the Axa League and the Championship by lowly Somerset.

But again, Whatmore stressed that not much should be read into that. After all, Surrey were without their Texaco Trophy players - Alec Stewart, Adam Hollioake and Ally Brown - as well as the injured Graham Thorpe.

Both Thorpe and Wasim Akram were having late fitness checks at The Oval this morning, with Lancashire encouraged by a specialist's report on Wasim's shoulder injury.

But today's start was delayed was disrupted by the weather, with grey skies over London and a poor forecast. At least a spare day is set aside for B&H games from the quarter final stage, unlike the group matches.

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