I think I know how they pick managers at rovers. They put some really crap names into a hat. Throw that hat away and think of some even worse names. Let the first 10 reject you then settle on the 11th

I think I know how they pick managers at rovers. They put some really crap names into a hat. Throw that hat away and think of some even worse names. Let the first 10 reject you then settle on the 11th

I'm more of an armchair rugby league fan and soft spot for Wigan from the mid 90s era. So for the real fans does the world club championship rank compared to grand final and challenge cup? Is it right up there or a distant 3rd in the eyes of a fan. I watched the first half before fa cup such fine lines for the tmo's. Looking to see if the Wigan lads little finger touched the line before grounded the ball then whether the Australian bloke grounded the ball on the line or not and millimetres in it. Fortunately all went Wigans way. More of a cricket man myself but I find it necessary these days to have other sporting interests by way of a welcome distraction/replacement for rovers.

I'd be interested to know just how choreographed international cricket is these days. Considering how much more thought goes into it with set bowling and fielding plans to specific batsmen etc it may be bowling changes and fielding positions are almost done through research behind the scenes rather than the captains instincts on the day. Plus with the ahem "frequent toilet breaks/glove changes/bat changes" and the team orders that come down with them it could be a modern cricket captain does little more than call the toss and make the odd impromptu change when things aren't going to plan. Either way with the limited options I think Root was the right choice. So hopefully his form doesng plummet like it did with Freddy.

Another tough win. The fact every team England come up against treat the game as their World Cup final makes victory that much sweeter.

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/feb/05/clitheroe-lancashire-uk-top-50-gastropubs?CMP=oth_b-aplnews_d-2 Interesting read. It may be nit picking but I don't think any of those 5 pubs are actually in clitheroe. Freemasons-wiswell, the parkers arms-newton by Bowland, inn at whitewell-whitewell, Asherton arms-Downham and the white swan is in fence I think. But the underlying point of the article is correct there's some top notch eateries round here.

Won very ugly there. I think the line out where Dylan Hartley's throw hit Courtney Lawes in the back of the head as he had his back turned summed things up. But as they say it's a good side who wins when playing poorly.

Yeah I agree. They need to be careful not to kill the goose that lays the golden egg. When we first went to t20 finals day in 2005 at the oval when Lancs got there the entire thing cost £15 ish now a finals day ticket will set you back £60. I bought myself/the old man a one day membership (t20/50 overs only) which was £95 and mine was £135. Not sure I'll get most out of mine with midweek 50 overs stuff but in the context of giving up my rovers season ticket which was about £350 still saved over £100 on 2 lancs memberships for something I'm actually happy to watch.

I see lancs have signed chanderpaul and vilas. So lost petersen and smith but gained maclaren, chanderpaul and vilas. It's definitely a start. Can't say as I've heard of vilas and will be interested to see how a 42 year old chanderpaul gets on but moving in the right direction at least. Been needed for years. Chiv averages 40 odd in first class cricket but think it's key for our younger lads like davies, jones, Livingston even hameed as he's a lot of experience to pass on. Plus he scored a century yesterday in first-class West Indies cricket, his third in five weeks so not done just yet. With champions trophy we should have Anderson until mid-July as well. So hopefully few more faces. An opener and bowling all-rounder would be useful

Contrary to popular belief LCCC doesn't stand for Lancashire county cricket club it actually stands for Lancashire concerts corporate and conferences. That said I'd rather us be financially sound through external means than say Durham who are on their arse financially but at some stage I'd like to see a little cash redirected in the way of the playing/coaching staff.

I'm sure that's right. Plus his heart was probably still in the midlands but to say it's been rumbling on since more or less the end of the season it could have been sorted quicker. I cynically think Lancashire are more concerned with spending money on fancy towels in the new hotel than providing funds to improve the squad. I reckon it will be another season of trying to survive. A couple of things worry me. First, if a new bloke comes in it will be a need to assess the squad job and use "late" appointment as excuse for not recruiting. Or If it's chapple, as I suspect it will be, he's presumably on board with present squad and he'll try to improve what we've got which frankly isn't good enough and particularly poor in the batting department.

I see Giles has gone back to Warcs. Can't say I'm too bothered about that but hoping for a decent replacement.

97/0 at the end of the morning session. So far so good. Was half expecting a total capitulation by now India well into the middle order.

I never said it was more important his dad is South African just one of the factors that makes him South African in MY opinion. I don't expect you if all people to accept that and I will not accept your liberal view point either. I'm afraid we're now living in a world where your globalisation liberal clap trap is unravelling.

Yeah his mother was born in Sunderland. Fine qualifies him to play. But at the end of the day his dad is South African, he was born in South Africa, appears to have been brought up in South Africa and had played for South Africa u19s. So in my opinion (obviously not yours and others) that makes him more South African than English. Hence another plastic Brit.

Terrible morning. It's right to say it's almost irrelevant what the batsmen do when the bowlers just can't take wickets. This'll go against the popular opinion of the pundits but I really don't think our spinners Ali, Deirdre are good enough. In this match they took 6 wickets between then but for nearly 400 runs on a pitch which should be perfect for them. As for seam department what to do when jimmy and broad retire. Likes of Finn/Jordan are probably highest in pecking order but not ones for the future. So not many about. Jake ball is playing and mid 20s. Mark wood 20s. Mills from Sussex who played t20 vs Sri Lanka is supposed to be rapid but his county figures aren't great. Jamie Overton early 20s.

Bloody kholi. Can't we find some English ancestry in him and sign him up.

Fair enough better than some we've had. I knew there was a genealogy expert on here somewhere . But still born aboard and represented another country so for me at least he should stick to his original choice.

With my Lancashire hat on I'm more than happy to see Jennings open and hameed back at Lancs with the threadbare squad. Jennings' record in the county championship last season was tremendous and on the back of that I'm surprised he wasn't given a go before hameed and duckett in the first place. But he is another in the long line of plastic Englishmen to play for England. I forget who but someone on here gets upset with me when I say foreigners are playing for England. So will no doubt hear chapter and verse about an obscure English uncle of Jennings.

There was archive footage of England vs saffas from 1995 at Johannesburg on earlier where Atherton batted all day to save the match and get England the draw. Something of that magnitude is needed tomorrow. But on a spinning pitch vs Ashwin I can't see it. It's funny looking back at international cricket in the 90s. Away draws really felt like wins in those days. Shows how far we've come really.

Yeah sadly this test is going how I thought they'd all go. That said the pundits were saying this is a pitch only able to bat on for the first day so when you lose the toss and have to bowl you effectively lose the game before a ball is bowled.

Alviro petersen has been charged with six counts of match-fixing. All in South Africa by the look of things. That's him and hameed Lancs have lost today! They need to pull their finger out more than ever and buy some players. Barely a player for next season. At this rate I'll have to dig the bat out of the garage.

Recovered to 85 all out

I've only seen the morning sessions before have to go to work and highlights. But it seems like it's an ipl pitch. Considering the fact we can't play spin generally and our recent woes in Bangladesh I think the Indian cricket board have been crazy not to insist on spinning pitches. Still all the better for us because barring a total capitulation a probable loss has turned into a probable draw

So far so good....