Cricket: Lara may take a rest

BRIAN LARA may miss Warwickshire's Britannic Assurance County Championship match with Lancashire, starting at Edgbaston today.

The West Indian Test batsman, who held talks with the county's chief executive, Dennis Amiss, on Tuesday after his recent absences from fielding duty, is struggling to overcome a knee injury. He has also had a problem with his eye, which swelled up after he was hit during the match at Northampton last Sunday.

The captain, Dermot Reeve, is also trying to overcome a groin injury and, with the Benson and Hedges Cup final coming up on 9 July, he may opt to hand over the reins to the vice-captain, Tim Munton.

Andrew Caddick returns to Championship action for Somerset against Worcestershire at Taunton today. He has missed a month with a shoulder injury. It is also Mushtaq Ahmed's final Championship appearance of the season before he joins Pakistan's party for the tour to Sri Lanka at the end of next week.