GLEN CHAPPLE'S return of five wickets for seven runs yesterday emphasised the gulf between weekend cricketers and professionals.

Most of the Minor Counties side, containing teachers, white-collar workers and a florist, Mark Fell, had played no cricket before the start of the Benson and Hedges Cup competition, and meeting a relatively well-oiled machine such as Lancashire was a deflating experience for the batsmen.

The Minors' total of 52 was their smallest in any competition and they only just managed to pass the worst by any county Hampshire's 50 at Leeds seven years ago.

The game was all over by 3pm, though the early finish at least left time for Steve Dean, the Staffordshire and Minors captain, to organise some practice on the square.

Dean, headmaster of Denstone College's middle school, said: ``Sometimes it's difficult to enjoy a game like this. It's been much harder for us to adjust this year. Indoor facilities are very good but there's no substitute for playing on grass.''

The Norwich public - and Warwickshire, in search of their expected win today - will be praying that rain, which reduced the allocation by three overs yesterday, does not ruin the visit of Brian Lara to Lakenham, an event in itself.

Yesterday, after a wheezing start, the Minors' innings was derailed when Chapple struck twice with swing and seam in his first over, Steve Goldsmith snicking to first slip and Phil Nicholson departing lbw two balls later.

The pitch was firm for the time of year and moisture allowed movement off the seam for Lancashire's seam bowlers. The amateurs had no answer to one of the best-suited attacks on the circuit.

Five Minors batsmen were caught in the slips - Mike Atherton taking three of them. The total would have been six if Andrew Flintoff had not dropped Andrew Jones - son of the former Glamorgan batsman, Alan - off Peter Martin the ball before he was dismissed.

The end came within 27 overs and the only consolation for the Minors was that Marcus Sharp's accuracy frustrated Lancashire's attempt to improve their run-rate in a tight qualifying group.