LANCASHIRE are set to hand Nathan Wood his first team debut against Essex at Chelmsford tomorrow, writes ANDY WILSON.

Wood, 21-year-old son of former Lancashire and England opener Barry, will play of John Crawley joins Mike Atherton in the Test team at Edgbaston.

With Jason Gallian out injured, that would leave Lancashire without their top three batsmen as well as their third man in the England squad, Peter Martin.

And they could be without a fifth front-line player if Neil Fairbrother fails to recover from the calf strain which kept him out of the Sunday League victory over Gloucestershire at Old Trafford. Steve Titchard will definitely play his first game of the season, Ian Austin is in line to replace Martin and Paddy McKeown, Wood's 20-year-old second team opening partner, has been put on stand-by if both Crawley and Fairbrother are unavailable.

Captain Mike Watkinson said today: "We have been dealt a terrible hand of cards so far by the weather, the pitches and a number of injuries, and now we could be without five players for this game. But it's a great chance for the youngsters to show what they can do.

"Both Wood and McKeown have done really well for the seconds this season and they deserve their chance." Wood has scored 581 runs at an average of 83, McKeown 606 at 67, although the Liverpudlian has scored three centuries to Wood's two. The pair smashed Lancashire's record opening partnership in second team cricket with a stand of 341 in the first game of the season at Kent. Wood is left-handed unlike his dad, and his appearance would revive memories of Barry's opening partnerships with David Lloyd in the sixties and seventies as David's son Graham will definitely be in the Lancashire side. Essex are fourth in the Championship with two wins from four matches and former Lancashire favourite Ronnie Irani is likely to join new England selector Graham Gooch in their side if Crawley plays at Edgbaston.

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