Lancashire overcome Ganguly's difficulties

Lancashire 236 Kent 41-4

Lancashire 236 Kent 41-4

The Lancashire committee and members will hold what is described as an "informal meeting" in the Pavilion library here tomorrow morning. It should be lively. The team are out of the championship race, seem certain to be relegated in the National League, have been bounced out of the one-day competitions and have suffered two recent humiliating one-day defeats by Yorkshire and Kent.

A dressing-room split is rumoured, with Sourav Ganguly at the centre. He failed again here as Kent's bowlers, notably Martin Saggers, prevented Lancashire from taking advantage of what started as a good but slow batting surface, but one that will take increasing turn. Had Kent's slips been up to Saggers's bowling Lancashire would not have reached 200.

Mark Chilton was missed on two, Neil Fairbrother on one and Gary Keedy on nought, all off Saggers, while Ganguly also made a duck.

The Lancashire chairman Jack Simmons commented: "I think Sourav had a difficult start, coming into a new side, but he seemed to have settled down. If the players would not go on to the balcony to applaud him then questions will have to be asked."

This was a reference to Tuesday, when Ganguly's 52 was the top score in the day-night match against Kent after he had been involved in run-outs of Andrew Flintoff and Fairbrother.

At 59 for 0 off 15 overs Lancashire were sailing to a big score but Chilton, Flintoff and Joe Scuderi all played loosely and, after John Crawley had been snatched on the stroke of lunch, it was left again to the tail to keep the ship afloat.

Kent were batting by 5.45 without inspiring much confidence and this looks like being yet another Championship fixture that will not last four days.