AT first glance it defies logic.

Lancashire, undisputed kings of English one-day cricket, but desperate to improve their Championship performance, writes ANDY WILSON.

So who do they appoint as coach?

Dav Whatmore, an Australian whose innovation in the limited overs game guided Sri Lanka to the last World Cup, but who has no experience of the long, hard grind of an English Championship season.

Yet listen to Whatmore, and see the impression he has already made with the players since arriving at Old Trafford in January, and you realise there is method in Lancashire's madness.

"I have never experienced the county Championship," he admits. "And I know the rigours of an English season are going to be tough.

"But to win four-day matches you still have to be positive, and do something to break the game up - whether it's your batsmen, or your bowlers, grabbing hold of the game."

That's why Whatmore was so pleased to see Graham Lloyd transform the pre-season Roses clash at Headingley so dramatically in Lancashire's favour with his amazing double century. "I'm delighted with the amount of talent we have available," he added. "We just have to manage it properly and get the players ready for every day. There is a little bit extra which needs to come from every individual, but give them the right environment and the right confidence, and there is every reason to feel optimistic."

Whatmore has already shown that things are going to be different at Lancashire this season.

Former coach David Lloyd wasn't exactly a traditionalist, adding tennis rackets, karate experts and opticians to Lancashire's training regime.

Whatmore has already brought in a bowling guru who worked closely with skipper Mike Watkinson on last month's tour of South Africa, and before each day of the Yorkshire game last week the players went through a bizarre-looking series of drills with new conditioner Alan Pearson involving jumping over low hurdles and playing imaginary shots with their legs tied together.

But whatever Whatmore brings to the club, it is the player who hold the key - and most importantly, who must rediscover the ability to win Championship matches which took them to fourth place in 1995.

They will be helped by the return of Wasim Akram. Wasim was outstanding two years ago, and despite the recent worrying rumours of a shoulder injury, Lancashire officials remain convinced that he will soon be fit and raring to go, especially in his new role as vice captain.

Atherton and John Crawley are likely to miss at least six Championship games because of the Ashes series. But in Paddy McKeown and Andrew Flintoff, Lancashire have youngsters eager to step into the breach.

And with Wasim hopefully soon back, the pressure is on Peter Martin, Glen Chapple and Ian Austin to perform to retain their place under the increasing challenge of Richard Green. The great imponderables are the weather and the Old Trafford pitches, a graveyard for bowlers last summer. But groundsman Peter Marron has left more grass on this year and Lancashire hope that will allow them to get off to a flier with their first three games at home - starting with the visit of Durham tomorrow.

And Watkinson has warned Lancashire not to expect easy pickings.

The North East newboys have a dreadful record against all counties since entering first class cricket in 1992, but especially against Lancashire.

But after finishing bottom for the third time last year without winning a single game, they made a number of signings over the winter - notably Nick Speak from Lancashire, and former Australian Test batsman David Boon as player-coach.

"They have beefed up their batting quite a bit," said Watkinson. "Last year when we went up to Durham they were in the middle of a bad spell, and you could tell they had problems."

Lancashire (from): Atherton, Gallian, Crawley, Fairbrother, Lloyd, Watkinson, Hegg, Austin, Chapple, Green, Martin, Yates.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.