LANCASHIRE finished their worst championship campaign in a decade in fourth from bottom position.

But John Stanworth bowed out as acting coach saying: "If this is a club in crisis, I know one or two counties who would like to swap.

"There are lessons to be learned and we have to re-focus ourselves for 1997, but when the dust has settled we will still have two sparkling trophies and history will remember this year as the one in which we did the double double."

Stanworth, the club's cricket development officer, will retain his involvement on the coaching side. But he has overcome his disappointment in not landing the head coach's job permanently.

"In retrospect I think it's not a bad decision by the committee to bring in someone from outside. We need someone with a more objective view," he said.

Lancashire bowed out with their ninth draw of the summer at Edgbaston. Nick Knight and Andy Moles hammered Warwickshire's first century opening partnership of the season to ensure a draw.

Knight scored 103, his first championship century since May, while Moles struck 59 and with an unbeaten 70 from Trevor Penney, last year's champions finished on 359 for six after Neil Fairbrother had hit a double century on Saturday.

Lancashire's record of two wins from 17 games is the worst since 1984.

But the performances of players like seamer Richard Green and batsman Paddy McKeown offer promise for the long-term future.

Lancashire, meanwhile, continue their search for a new head coach. They stage a members' forum on October 1 when a detailed report of the season will be presented by cricket committee chairman Geoff Ogden.

Leicestershire were in party mood as they rounded off the last match of their championship-winning season with a crushing victory against Middlesex in front of their own celebrating supporters.

The 21-year wait to win the title again was already over when Leicestershire wrapped up an innings and 74 runs win in just 50 minutes at Grace Road.

But the long-awaited title has been soured by the news that inspirational all-rounder and former Lancashire League favourite Phil Simmons could be signed up by the West Indies on a year-long contract. Simmons, with 1000 runs and 55 first-class wickets to his name this season, recently agreed a new deal tying him to Grace Road until the end of the 1998 season.

However the West Indies are planning to offer their leading players 12-month contracts, which would virtually rule them out of the start and the end of the English domestic season if international commitments dictate.

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