and it isn't raining 
Here's the latest on the 'other' OT giants - Lancashire.
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LANCASHIRE 2003
Coach: Mike Watkinson
Captain: Warren Hegg
Overseas players: Stuart Law, Harbhajan Singh
Players in: Iain Sutcliffe,
Mal Loye
Players out: Neil Fairbrother, David Byas, Graeme Lloyd, Mike Smethurst
This summer could be even better for them and last season's fourth place is the minimum they should expect in the Championship.
Harbhajan Singh is an exciting signing who will help raise the standard of the county game
Expect the Old Trafford pitches to take spin as Lancashire are hoping Harbhajan Singh can do for them what Saqlain Mushtaq has done so devastatingly for Surrey in recent seasons.
Expect him to slog a few runs as well.
On balance, Lancashire have the best overseas pairing.
Stuart Law has been a banker for most of his time in county cricket and he did not disappoint in his first season with the club, scoring 1,216 runs at an average of 52.86.
The advantage of Law is he is reliable and always available. He has no international commitments to distract him.
Lancashire have rebuilt sensibly over the winter after the departures of the three of the club's senior figures - David Byas, Neil Fairbrother and Graeme Lloyd.
The batting line-up should be stronger with the arrival of Mal Loye and Iain Sutcliffe.
Loye has been a frustratingly inconsistent player over the years but four centuries last summer and an average of 55.72 in 2001 demonstrates that he does have ability.
Sutcliffe turned down the captaincy of Leicestershire to come to Old Trafford and he is a capable county player, who was 11th in the list of leading First Division run-scorers last season.
With everyone available, Lancashire have a formidable pace attack with James Anderson, Andrew Flintoff, Glen Chapple, Peter Martin and Kyle Hogg providing some enticing options for captain Warren Hegg.
But he knows it is unlikely to work out like that as Anderson's rapid rise means he is almost certain to make his Test debut this summer and could be missing for large parts of the season.
He took 46 wickets at 20.30 in 11 championship games last summer. It will be a big hole to fill.
The main beneficiary will be 19 year-old Hogg, another promising pace-bowler, who toured Sri Lanka with the England Academy.
The reliable pairing of Chapple and Martin will again be expected to take the majority of the wickets.
If they can emulate last season's success - with 107 dismissals between them - then Lancashire could become an irritant to the favourites Surrey.
Harbhajan will need to have a feast though for the gap to be closed completely between the two counties. It was a massive 70.75 points in 2002.
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I reckon Loye will be a good signing. I call on everybody in Red Cafe to support Lancashire and banish Surrey and their predominantly German based fans to the Second Division.....
Not that I expect anyone here really gives a shit about other Manchester teams and sports.
Here's the latest on the 'other' OT giants - Lancashire.
------------------------------------------
LANCASHIRE 2003
Coach: Mike Watkinson
Captain: Warren Hegg
Overseas players: Stuart Law, Harbhajan Singh
Players in: Iain Sutcliffe,
Mal Loye
Players out: Neil Fairbrother, David Byas, Graeme Lloyd, Mike Smethurst
This summer could be even better for them and last season's fourth place is the minimum they should expect in the Championship.
Harbhajan Singh is an exciting signing who will help raise the standard of the county game
Expect the Old Trafford pitches to take spin as Lancashire are hoping Harbhajan Singh can do for them what Saqlain Mushtaq has done so devastatingly for Surrey in recent seasons.
Expect him to slog a few runs as well.
On balance, Lancashire have the best overseas pairing.
Stuart Law has been a banker for most of his time in county cricket and he did not disappoint in his first season with the club, scoring 1,216 runs at an average of 52.86.
The advantage of Law is he is reliable and always available. He has no international commitments to distract him.
Lancashire have rebuilt sensibly over the winter after the departures of the three of the club's senior figures - David Byas, Neil Fairbrother and Graeme Lloyd.
The batting line-up should be stronger with the arrival of Mal Loye and Iain Sutcliffe.
Loye has been a frustratingly inconsistent player over the years but four centuries last summer and an average of 55.72 in 2001 demonstrates that he does have ability.
Sutcliffe turned down the captaincy of Leicestershire to come to Old Trafford and he is a capable county player, who was 11th in the list of leading First Division run-scorers last season.
With everyone available, Lancashire have a formidable pace attack with James Anderson, Andrew Flintoff, Glen Chapple, Peter Martin and Kyle Hogg providing some enticing options for captain Warren Hegg.
But he knows it is unlikely to work out like that as Anderson's rapid rise means he is almost certain to make his Test debut this summer and could be missing for large parts of the season.
He took 46 wickets at 20.30 in 11 championship games last summer. It will be a big hole to fill.
The main beneficiary will be 19 year-old Hogg, another promising pace-bowler, who toured Sri Lanka with the England Academy.
The reliable pairing of Chapple and Martin will again be expected to take the majority of the wickets.
If they can emulate last season's success - with 107 dismissals between them - then Lancashire could become an irritant to the favourites Surrey.
Harbhajan will need to have a feast though for the gap to be closed completely between the two counties. It was a massive 70.75 points in 2002.
------------------------------------------------
I reckon Loye will be a good signing. I call on everybody in Red Cafe to support Lancashire and banish Surrey and their predominantly German based fans to the Second Division.....
Not that I expect anyone here really gives a shit about other Manchester teams and sports.