Date-stamped : 30 Aug97 - 18:04 Problems mount for Lancashire By Stephen Thorpe at Old Trafford First day of four: Lancs 247-3 v Yorks TROUBLE at t`mill indeed, with the 231st Roses match taking second billing to the ongoing backroom shenanigans which have plunged Lancashire into crisis on various fronts. Michael Vaughan`s second championship hundred of the season for Yorkshire, against the county of his birth, and even conjec- ture concerning Michael Atherton`s tenure of the England cap- taincy were relegated to matters of relatively minor consequence. The bloodletting began with Bob Bennett relinquishing the chair- manship, effective from February, citing an increasingly heavy workload on the England committee, and John Bower, the chief ex- ecutive, parted company "by amicable agreement" on Tuesday. Now the treasurer, John Peaker, has announced his intention to leave, while David Edmundson is forced to conduct secretarial af- fairs from home after breaking a foot on holiday. It never rains but it pours; nothing new, then, for these parts. The management upheaval is compounded by uncertainty in the playing ranks, lacklustre playing performance, with just four victo- ries in 13 games, and no glamour final at Lord`s to mol- lify the member- ship. The pivotal issues of captaincy and overseas player are inter- related, of course, and the way forward is blurred, to say the least. Mike Watkinson has not received full support in the lat- ter part of his four-year tenancy and Jason Gallian has made no secret of his wish to move unless he assumes greater authority. Wasim Akram, anticipating full fitness in his benefit year, would relish the job but a specialist`s report on his chronic shoul- der injury is due next week and he is unhappy about the club`s ap- proach for Shane Warne. Wasim`s contract is worth about half of Warne`s potential package but the Pakistani has played only 2.5 days of champi- onship cricket this summer and the time may be ripe for Lan- cashire to appoint a lesser light, one hungry for advancement. Gloucestershire have shown the way with Shaun Young. Yorkshire set out their stall in true Roses fashion on a flat wicket - nothing on offer, purchase only by dint of hard graft - and overcame three stoppages for rain and the loss of 32 overs. The muted atmosphere was broken when Anthony McGrath (33) lofted Gary Yates to mid-on and thereafter Vaughan, with 16 fours in a four-hour vigil, and Davis Byas (61) were the per- fect proprietors. Source :: The Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/) Lancashire start to rebuild By Stephen Thorpe at Old Trafford Second day of four: Lancs (135-3) trail Yorks (419-9 dec) by 284 runs ALL quiet on the Old Trafford front line. Lancashire have looked thoroughly out of sorts, of course - no real surprise there, given the all-pervasive uncertainty - but the club have at least moved smartly to temporarily plug a gap in the hierarchy. Jim Cumbes, the former professional footballer and Lan- cashire`s marketing manager for a decade, becomes the acting chief exec- utive today, following John Bower`s departure. A mammoth Yorkshire total seemed likely at the outset but steady seam-up efforts from Peter Martin and Richard Green, and Gary Yates` off-spin, stifled the prospect as the visitors lost six wick- ets for 118 runs. Quick runs were essential on a grey morning and the right man was in situ. Darren Lehmann added 70 with nightwatchman Chris Silver- wood before Warren Hegg held a fine catch off an inside edge. Sil- verwood, too, played well, driving straight from a high left elbow and surpassing his previous career best, 50 here two years ago, with an imperious pull off Ian Austin. Craig White (52) has taken counsel from Graham Gooch in adopt- ing a more positive outlook, capturing the mood against the new ball, but lost Silverwood to a steepler, brilliantly held one-handed by Martin falling backwards at deep midwicket. Yorkshire declared on the second stoppage for rain, then a heavy thunderstorm prompted the loss of another 23 overs. Resuming in bright sunshine, Jason Gallian played on to a Paul Hutchison yorker and smashed two stumps out of the ground in frustration before issuing a timely apology to umpire Nigel Plews - an act that may not save him from censure. When Nathan Wood and John Crawley followed cheaply, Neil Fair- brother and Graham Lloyd held the fort. Source :: The Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/) McGrath sparks onslaught By Stephen Thorpe at Old Trafford Third day of four: Yorks (419-9 dec & 176-5) lead Lancs (277-8 dec) by 318 runs YORKSHIRE have enjoyed much the better of recent Roses match- es, especially west of the great divide, and no shift of empha- sis is evident in this latest confrontation. They last won the cham- pionship in 1968 but the weather has largely thwarted their attempt to retain a foothold here on the final approach to this year`s pinnacle. Heavy overnight rain prevented play until 2pm with another 32 overs lost but an astonishing display of pyrotechnics in late- evening sunshine, 176 in 20 overs with Anthony McGrath thrashing four sixes in his 51-ball 76 and Michael Vaughan making 47, left the crowd happy. Favours are rarely granted the oldest of enemies but the cap- tains have agreed a target of around 320 and surely Lancashire, even in their parlous state, cannot capitulate today whatever the final de- mand. Lancashire were earlier grateful for Warren Hegg`s undefeated 50 but the top order have essentially lacked conviction. Neil Fair- brother and Graham Lloyd, the overnight pair, are both hewn from the same millstone grit which has somehow metamorphosed into putty. Resuming on 135 for three, 284 in arrears, Lancashire needed another 135 to avoid the follow-on but Lloyd, having reached 1,000 championship runs, had his stumps scattered to the winds aim- ing an ambitious drive through Paul Hutchison`s inswing. When Fair- brother, Mike Watkinson and Ian Austin disappeared in careworn fashion, Yorkshire had a glimmer of hope, more so after Gary Yates ran down the wicket at Richard Stemp. Enter Hegg, bristling with graft, to usher Lancashire past the target along- side Richard Green before the declaration. The club have fined Jason Gallian -L250 for his passable imita- tion of playing skittles with the stumps on Thursday, and the England and Wales Cricket Board may exact further punishment. The opening batsman has also failed to accept an improved con- tract and at least half a dozen counties are scrambling for his signature. Source :: The Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/) Contributed by The Management (help@cricinfo.com)