THOUSANDS of Lancashire supporters walked on the Old Trafford outfield, and many took home some pieces of turf, courtesy of the club, on the day of the Pro40 match against Middlesex -- cancelled due to overnight rain.

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The fact that Sunday's match had to be cancelled so early illustrated perfectly why £600,000 is to be spent on digging up and relaying the outfield. The fixture was to be the last match played on the historic outfield before the bulldozers rolled in to start work on a new state-of-the-art drainage system.

Over the past 150 years the current outfield has played host to some of cricket’s most memorable moments, and spectators braved some bleak weather to walk on the grass, have photos taken in front of the pavilion and take home some manicured turf, cut for them by Peter Marron and his groundstaff.

Earlier in the day the club’s chaplin Rev Malcolm Lorimer led a special service to pay respect to the hundreds of people who had had their ashes scattered on the Old Trafford outfield. In attendance for this service where former players such as Jack Bond, Sonny Ramadhin, Bob Entwistle, Jack Simmons, Peter Lee, Barry Howard, Peter Greenwood, Geoff Pullar and Mike Beddow.

Work on the new outfield starts on Monday Aug 25 and is expected to take eight weeks to complete. Lancashire's remaining home games are scheduled for Blackpool and Liverpool.

CHARLIE SAYS: The Old Trafford outfield absorbed water like a sponge and it was so slow to drain that many days were called off ridiculously early. It was not just the rainfall that built Manchester's bad weather reputation; it was more the failure to get rid of the water.

LOVERS of Lancashire cricket are to be given an opportunity to take home chunks of Old Trafford turf after the county's final match there on Monday Aug 17 before the whole outfield is dug up and replaced.

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Peter Marron and his ground staff will oversee the cutting and distribution free of charge, because it is unlikely that northerners would pay for such a memento. In this economic climate Lancashire have decided against attempting to emulate the Lord's sell-off in 2002, when profit from turf in boxes raised £35,000 for MCC youth cricket charities.

In a thoughtful gesture by the Lancashire club a memorial service will be led by the Rev Malcolm Lorimer for the many hundreds of people who have had their ashes scattered on the outfield over the past 150 years. "The relationship that members and supporters have with Lancashire County Cricket Club and Old Trafford often runs deeper than just cricket or location," said club official Rebecca Trbojevich today.

The NatWest Pro40 one-dayer against Middlesex Crusaders, starting at 1.45pm, will be the last match before a new state-of-the-art drainage system and outfield is installed to speed up the hitherto slow recovery time after rain, a notorious problem caused by the sponge-like quality of the existing field.

Over the years the Old Trafford outfield has seen plenty of action such as Jim Laker’s 19 wickets in a Test, Alec Stewart’s 100th hundred, the 2005 Ashes thriller, the 1971 Gillette Cup semi-final in the dark and Shane Warne’s 'Ball of the Century'.

At the completion of the Middlesex match attending spectators will have the opportunity to walk out on to the ground -- though not the square -- and have photos taken on this historic ground. They can walk home with some turf. The club have emphasised they would welcome a donation, but have no intention of pressurising their members.

CRICKET South Africa lost more than £400,000 through fraud by one of their employees, and it was a happy coincidence that conviction was achieved in Johannesburg within a few days of the Test team wrapping up the series against England at Edgbaston.

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Diteko Modise, 39, a former financial director of the United Cricket Board -- as the authority was known then -- was sentenced by the Johannesburg Commercial Crimes Court to effectively 30 years in prison after being found guilty on eight counts of fraud and one count of money laundering totalling £517,000. Only a small proportion was recovered.

Modise, who joined the UCB staff in 200, was told he would be considered for parole only after serving 20 years. He indicated he would appeal.

According to court reports, his version was that the money in question was genuinely given to him by former UCB chief executive Ali Bacher to develop cricket grounds in the rural areas of Postmasburg and Kuruman in the Northern Cape. However, one of the Board officials, Don MacIntosh, disagreed, saying the money was meant for the development of cricket in Soweto and Mamelodi.

The court heard that in 2002 Modise instructed his subordinates to transfer funds into an account held by More Raud Investments, a company solely owned by him. He instructed one of his subordinates to transfer an amount of more than £90,00 into the More Raud Investments account on the pretext that it was for the purchase of a bus for the Proteas cricket team. Instead he bought a Land Rover for his own use and later pruchased a Mercedes-Benz. The prosecution alleged he spent other funds on designer clothes and furniture.

Other UCB funds were utilised to establish companies in the cleaning, construction and mining industries, all of which were operational in Kimberley before being attached by the Asset Forfeiture Unit during Modise's arrest in 2004. He also bought three houses in Pecanwood, Dainfern Valley and Buccleuch, north of Johannesburg, and an apartment in Bloemfontein.

Magistrate Jeremy Janse van Vuuren said Modise had paid back the UCB about £22,000 after he was confronted by the chief executive Gerald Majola about the fraud. Another £90,000 was recovered following an asset forfeiture order in the Johannesburg High Court in May this year.

The court rejected his request for a correctional supervision sentence. Modise had earlier asked the court to give him a non-custodial sentence, saying he had since formed a company and that he would use the profits to reimburse the Cricket South Africa, but the magistrate refused. "You must take responsibility for the crimes you have done," he said.

"At no stage did you admit guilt. You should have desisted from continuing with your criminal conduct in August 2002, but you chose to continue. These crimes were clearly planned. This was clearly an act of greed."

The prosecution alleged Modise embezzled the money between 2000 and early 2004. The fraud was uncovered in March 2004 when the Border Cricket Union informed the UCB of an overdue payment.

LANCASHIRE announced today that their left-arm spinner Gary Keedy had been awarded a Benefit in 2009 after 14 seasons at Old Trafford. This is a more deserving cause than his team colleague Andrew Flintoff, one would think.

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Keedy, 33, arrived from Yorkshire in 1995 and was awarded his county cap in 2000. Up to this week he has taken 499 wickets. A Lancashire statement said: "In an era when England have not exactly been blessed with spin bowling options, Gary can consider himself unlucky not to have had an opportunity in the Test team. In fact All Out Cricket Magazine carried out a survey 2006 in which Gary Keedy was voted as the best county player never to have played for England – but there is still time for this talented cricketer."

The anomaly of £1 million a year players such as Flintoff being awarded benefit years has never been tackled by the counties. They are like small businesses. Even announcements that charities will partly benefit from the proceeds do not deflect the main criticism. It is believed Flintoff's benefit year raised about £3 million in 2006.

CHARLIE SAYS: Benefits were designed for players such as Gary, so that he can expect a measure of financial security after he leaves the circuit. That is distinct from high-profile international cricketers, who should not be awarded them. Flintoff, certainly a fine fellow, enjoyed a benefit year when he did not really need one.

"The El Salvador weather is beautiful, the landscape stunning and cricket has the potential to be a winning formula with the country's sport-crazy people"    Philip Mostyn

THE cricket enthusiasts attempting to revive the game in El Salvador have appealed for equipment and playing materials to maintain an encouraging momentum in South America, despite what they see as "indifference" from the ICC.

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Philip Mostyn, vice-president of the El Salvador Cricket Federation, says that progress has been made towards establishing cricket among the El Salvador community, but the shortage of equipment has become an obstacle. Requests for help to the ICC and even the MCC, usually so sympathetic towards cases like this, have led to nothing.

Though the ICC recently announced they had earmarked £150 million over seven years to assist the smaller countries, the funding would not benefit start-up countries before they achieve affiliate membership. That is the problem for El Salvador.

Mostyn said: "It seems almost embarrassing that England will be playing against the Stanford champions for millions of pounds when there are countries desperate to make cricket live, and we just need a few thousand pounds. World cricket will not survive on Twenty20 alone; it must develop other countries to play and support to keep itself healthy.

"I can even say that I will eventually get bored of the same top 10 countries playing each year. Will the ICC ever expand its elitist wing to other nations? Let me remind the world of David Beckham going to the US, and look at what that did for that part of the world. If Mr Stanford wants cricket to be big in the Central American region and Caribbean, he really needs to see what a few thousand could so that many would appreciate it. Just imagine -- Nicaragua, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Guatemala, all playing cricket at Test level."

Nevertheless Mostyn said that money, welcome though funding would be, was not the priority in El Salvador. "We are looking for materials," the Englishman said. "I am sure that there are places out there that have old bowling machines and nets and bats -- you name it, we need it. We can pay the shipping, but we are in need of loads of kit needed for schools and locals to get them interested. Heck, our national team needs some too."

In three years from nothing, the El Salvador Cricket Federation have developed a league of four teams in the capital San Salvador. Sponsorship from Microsoft has provided a world class artificial field, and membership has risen from 26 to 52. Four internationals have been played and a first win was gained, against Nicaragua. Mostyn described the youth programme as "very strong".

www.elsalvadorcricket.net

CHARLIE SAYS: It's worth looking at the El Salvador Cricket website and seeing the great strides being made in exposing this great game to a football-made local populus -- an effort driven by a few individuals and their womenfolk. I would love to hear of any ideas to help these people.

COLIN BATEMAN, DAVID LLOYD and IAN TODD preparing for 'tour de counties'

NEWS filters through of yet another ICC tour, but the only fatigue this one will cause will be to journalists not players. A small band of foolhardy scribblers are setting off on an Inter-County Cycle for charity later this summer around all 18 first class county headquarters, pedalling from the Brit Oval to Lord's the long way round.

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The Inter-County Cycle idea was that of Colin Bateman (Daily Express cricket correspondent) who, together with David Lloyd, the London Evening Standard cricket man, and Ian Todd (former Sun cricket writer), has undertaken a few hauls before.

The trio and another friend caught the bike-bug cycling from John O'Groats to Lands End a few years ago. They then tackled a similar trek from the top-to-bottom of France and have done a circular tour of Ireland fuelled by Guinness and Irish stew.

Looking for another challenge and with their numbers bolstered to six with two more companions, they have decided to undertake this unique challenge, a circular route of more than 1,000 miles around the cricket shires of England - and Wales - in 16 days in mid-September.

Starting at the Oval on Sept 13, they head east to Canterbury, then along the south coast and so on in a clockwise direction around the 18 major grounds in the country with their worldly belongings and puncture kits packed in panniers and no support cars to pick up the pieces.

Masochistically they call this fun, but they are also putting their efforts to good use by raising money through sponsorship for two cricket-related cancer charities.

One is the Laurie Engel Fund, which is part of the Teenage Cancer Trust. This fund was set up to build a special unit for youngsters by former Wisden Almanack editor and Guardian cricket writer Matthew Engel in memory of his son.

The other is Heads Up, a research programme into cancers of the head and neck whose patron is Hugh Morris, the managing director of the England cricket team who has fought throat cancer.

If you would like to support the hack pack on their bikes, you can donate via the following websites:

www.justgiving.com/colinbateman

www.justgiving.com/davidtofflloyd

Itinerary

Sept 13: Brit Oval to Canterbury

Sept 14: Canterbury-Hove

Sept 15: Hove-Romsey via the Rose Bowl

Sept 16: Romsey-Montacute (no ground that day)

Sept 17: Montacute-Taunton-Bristol

Sept 18: Bristol-Cardiff-Monmouth

Sept 19: Monmouth-Worcester

Sept 20: Wocester-Edgbaston-Stafford

Sept 21: Stafford-Old Trafford

Sept 22: Manchester-Hawes (no ground)

Sept 23: Hawes-Chester-le-Street-Durham

Sept 24: Durham-Headingley

Sept 25: Headingley-Derby

Sept 26: Derby-Nottingham-Leicester-Moulton

Sept 27: Moulton-Northampton-Bishops Stortford

Sept 28: Bishops Stortford-Chelmsford-Lord's.

CHARLIE SAYS: Hacks pedal a few things in their time, but this is a worthy effort by good press box companions Colin and David. Please support the charities if you can.

THE man said this would be the greatest day for English schools cricket, and he might be right, certainly for the 15 and 16 age group. MCC are to host a Bunbury English Schools Cricket Association representative match on the main ground at Lord’s on Sept 10.

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A Bunbury England Under-15 team play against an England Under-16 XI in a 50-over contest, celebrating 60 years of ESCA, an unsung band of volunteer schoolmasters who have brought cricket into countless young lives. The game has been arranged after talks by David English, a vice president of ESCA and creator of the Bunbury festival, and Keith Bradshaw, chief executive of the MCC.

English said: "This is certainly the greatest day for schools cricket in this country. When Keith Bradshaw approached me to offer Lord’s for a Bunbury England Under-15 game, I thought that nothing illuminated the Spirit of Cricket more than this gesture. It will have long-term benefits as these young cricketers will be involved for England for many years to come.

"Admission will for the match will be only £3 - £1.50 for concessions - and I hope we will see as many supporters at Lord’s as possible. It will be a great chance to support England’s future Test stars playing at the greatest cricket ground in the world – don’t miss it!"

Keith Bradshaw commented: "David English’s contribution to English schools’ cricket is legendary, and his enthusiasm for the game is contagious. MCC is pleased to help celebrate this milestone with ESCA and the Bunburys."

This year will mark the 22nd anniversary of the Bunbury ESCA festival, which goes to Cumbria on July 21-25. A staggering 49 former Bunburys have gone on to play cricket for England and 181 players have progressed into first class cricket. The England Ashes-winning side of 2005 contained nine former Bunburys, including Michael Vaughan, Andrew Flintoff and Marcus Trescothick.

Representing the Bunbury ESCA Under-15 side is no mean feat. Cricketers who excel for their school or club are selected for their county; then they must impress regional selectors before being chosen to play at the Bunbury Festival, this year at Sedbergh School. The England Under 15 side will be selected based on performances at Sedbergh and will go on to play at Lord’s against last year’s Bunbury Under-15 team.