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Culture shock for purists

Lancs (171-3) bt Essex (168) by 7 wkts

It's cricket, but not as we know it. For anybody who thinks that the game went to the dogs when it waived the distinction between gentleman and professional, Old Trafford was not the place to be on Saturday evening.

Picture the scene. Muttiah Muralitharan, who has taken 53 wickets in eight first-class innings, is running in to bowl one of his big, buzzing, bumble-bee off-breaks.

And as the batsman tries to divine whether this one really will turn the way he expects, his concentration is shattered by an oompah band, lederhosen and all.

Add sky-divers, fireworks, balloons, bouncy castles, a capering purple dinosaur mascot, relentless pop music and a cheeky chappie comedian to lead the fun and you have floodlit, day-night cricket Lancashire style.

More than 8,00O people, double the norm, evidently liked it a lot and with £25,000 in gate money to bank, Lancashire's executive Jim Cumbes was also happy.

Ah yes, the cricket. Pretty dour stuff, actually. Muralitharan was the costliest of Lancashire's bowlers as Essex eked out 168 on a seamer-friendly pitch on which only Ronnie Irani and Stuart Law got going and Ian Austin claimed four for 15.

Lancashire won with nine overs to spare, Neil Fairbrother's unbeaten 50 setting up Andy Flintoff for a flurry which included a six and six fours. And the band played on.