Lancashire's top 6 batting options:

Karl Brown RHB, 21, 7 FC games, 156 runs @ 14 HS 40
Mark Chilton RHB, 33, 166 FC games, 8,159 runs @ 33 HS 131 20 100 /32 50
Steve Croft RHB, 25, 43 FC games, 1626 runs @ 28 HS 122 1 100 9 50
Gareth Cross RHB, WK, 25, 8 FC games, 309 runs @ 26 HS 72 3 50
Andrew Flintoff RHB, RF, 183 FC games, 9,027 runs @ 34 HS 167 15/53
Paul Horton RHB, 27, 59 FC games, 3,685 runs @ 41 HS 173 8/20
Stephen Moore RHB, 29, 103 FC games, 6,862 runs @ 40 HS 246 15/33
Luke Proctor LHB, 21, yet to make first class debut
Adrian Shanker RHB, 24, 384 runs @ 19 HS 143 1 100
Luke Sutton RHB, WK, 33, 6,250 runs @ 32 HS 151* 9/19

It gets worse. Kent lose £800k, although they like to highlight the fact that £190k was lost on concerts - what about the other £600k. I'm losing count on how many counties are losing money.

Anyone in the press got an opinion on this ? Is there a major problem with county cricket or is this still a unique problem to a small county like Worcs who are badly administered ?

Is there a correlation between those counties losing money hand over fist and those scrambling to redevelop their facilities to add hotels, flats and other non-cricket revenue streams thereby demonstrating to the ECB and their auditors that they remain viable businesses.

I'm no economist but I think 'making a sunk investment' is the appropriate term

Is the outlook really that bleak?

Can`t agree we are badly administered,Serchers.Under previous regimes we would almost certainly have gone out of business.Not saying everything is perfect but, believe me,the business side of things is in good hands.

I think that was tongue in cheek wasn't it Serchers?

It certainly was ! I was having another dig rupert at certain correspondents who enjoy putting down Worcs at every opportunity. I know we're not 'all singing and dancing' and it's an indisputable fact that we did lose £100k. But now that club after club are reporting dire accounts during a time when there's more money in the game than ever before (Sky and T20) is confirmation that there is a terrible problem with cricket at the moment. If a reporter wishes to tell the world that Worcs are dreadful then they need to put it into context. Certain critics of the club have dug themselves into a ruddy big hole and it'll take b@#ls of steel to admit their errors.

Asia, your points are valid. Clubs are venturing into different areas for finance and not necessarily very well. Kent blow £190k on concerts, everyone is borrowing high for new facilities, some clubs are acting like complete tarts and chasing any IPL dosh they can get.

None of this would be necessary if the world of cricket controlled it's finances properly, the most basic rule being 'income to expenditure' should balance. I don't think that there's an easy solution but for a start the clubs need to get together and agree that enough is enough, they must find a way where all clubs are financially viable. The alternative could be dire.

Hants, with Mendes looking like he won't be available, are apparently on the verge of signing either Abdul Razzaq or Simon Katich (depending on which rumourmongering you believe) as a replacement.

Expect Kim will be along shortly to tell us that Imran Tahir - who is ironically on a one year loan at Edgbaston because of perceived limited availability (if and when he is eligible for SAf) - has set himself a target of 96 wickets this summer, a hatful of which may come on a familiar wicket against the Bogus Royals (tm).

One of the USP's of this global franchise was that OSP's would be shared but as Katich is Kings xi Punjab, Afridi is Deccan Chargers, Razzaq is formerly ICL and Medes is KKR that criteria seems to have gone out of the window already...

Went on Sky text, and saw the headline "Royals sign Pakistan player". Intrigued, I read the article to find it wasn't us. This 'Royal' thing is going to be annoying.

We need to change our name to "The Original Royals", or "The Royal McCoys"

Asia - lets just talk to each other until the season starts !

Asia- Razzaq is the chosen one. A Rajasthan Royals legend..Not!

Have Victoria signed up for the franchise yet? Or are they still 'considering'?

Re. Imran Tahir

Warks play Hants at least 4 times this summer CC (H) 27/4, ECB40 (A) 14/5, ECB40 (H) 22/5 and CC (A) 13/9

Given that the 13/9 is the final CC fixture of the season, it has probably not escaped the attention of some that Tahir could potentially have a hand in the outcome of Hampshires season. He only played one CC fixture and took two wickets against the Bears last year but his second innings spell at the Rose Bowl on 21/7 returned 7-5-2-2. The Bears will be hoping for more of the same please.

Staying at the 'Theatre of Merchandising' (tm) I see their 48Mn 175 bed hotel + tournament golf course expansion plans have also hit turbulence. How the other half live...

I wonder if one day Bransgrove will tire of his toy and walk away, as these businessmen sometimes do. Then the 'Woyals' would be in ****.

With this Pakistan news Hants could collect the whole set

Sky did a turn-around and reverted to "Hants" last night. Clearly, they've spotted the confusion and decided to keep the Royals tag where it rightfully belongs.

More on the Kent disaster. This £800k loss follows the £700k loss in 2008, which for a non-test ground is truly eye-watering. Usual management clap-trap in explaining the losses, and they now have a five year plan to manage fnance. Wow. Good idea boys. Stand-out comment comes from Simon Philip (treasurer) : “The easiest way to cut our losses would be to dismantle the team and replace our much valued, high performing players with cheaper, less talented alternatives.

“ The scheme (£8.2m development) should enable us to change our business model completely and generate the revenues needed to enable us to remain a competitive cricket force."

No it won't Mr Philip. It might raise revenues (as other clubs are doing) but all this cash will end up in player's pockets as usual, and Kent will be saddled with a multi-million pound invetsment which would break-even at best.

http://www.testmatchextra.com/Blogs.aspx?BlogView=Post&PostID=7a25d86f-d8ec-495d-b852-792580885d62&BloggerID=5cbe879e-5112-4e31-9648-66cbf5182577

Sussex have signed Dilshan for theT20.

Brilliant for them and county cricket

Get a long stop in!