An interesting day was had at Liverpool last week as Lancashire won what eventually turned out to be a thrilling County Championship game against Hampshire.

And hopefully the powers that be at Lancashire will take notice of what was clear for just about everyone there – because the crowd suggested cheaper tickets and games played at outgrounds are the future.

To get into Old Trafford, currently a soulless concrete bowl, you have to part with £15 for a day’s County Championship play. It can seem quite expensive...and lonely as you need to shout across to the person sat next to you in what is invariably a sparse crowd.

Last week at Liverpool non-members had to pay just £12 to get in – and amid the picturesque surroundings of Aigburth the crowd was large with barely a seat to be had.

People embrace the idea of cricket at the outgrounds more, it is more of an occasion – and it is surely better for the players to take to the field in front of a bigger crowd who are right up against the action.

Yes I know that Lancashire will be using outgrounds next season as Old Trafford finally gets a facelift that has been needed for decades – but I would like to see them used on a regular basis even when the grand old ground has had a makeover fitting of Gok Wan.

And it shouldn’t just be Liverpool. There are plenty of good grounds in the rest of the finest county in the country – and Ramsbottom must surely get a nod at some point. It just makes sense because Acre Bottom has everything going for it.

The other advantage of games at outgrounds is the different faces that turn out.

Liverpool was as much a social occasion as a cricket match and a roaring good time was had by all.

And during the course of the day I actually learned that the current big thing in Liverpool is something called eyelash extensions...

Being the curious type of newshound, I was interested in that oddity and decided to carry out my own investigation and was told by one bubbly girl: “We spend hours getting them done and for all the Scouserati (and yes, that is, apparently, a word) they are now as much a part of a night out as a spray tan.”

You just don’t get information like that when you are sat at Old Trafford – and you don’t often get fashion tips in this column.