BOB SIMPSON's future as Lancashire coach was in the balance today.

The Old Trafford committee meet tonight with Lancashire's poor form in the Championship and the National League high on the agenda.

Simpson's contract is up at the end of the season, and there is speculation that the veteran Australian could take matters into his own hands by deciding to go himself.

Throw in the future of Mike Atherton, Neil Fairbrother and Chris Schofield, who are also out of contract this year, as well as the need to sign a new overseas player to replace Muttiah Muralitharan - probably Essex's Aussie run machine Stuart Law - and the committee have plenty to discuss.

Their mood will not have been improved by the weekend's events at Colwyn Bay, with Lancashire failing to claim a Championship win and then suffering another National League defeat yesterday.

At least they ended their run of three consecutive Championship defeats, but the realistic victory chances disappeared as Glamorgan recovered from 86 for five to 220 for seven declared.

Lancashire made a good fist of an unlikely target of 298 in around 50 overs, with Mark Chilton and Andy Flintoff both making welcome returns to form.

Chilton hit 83, ending a run of 12 innings without a half century since his 104 at Northampton in May.

And Flintoff finally reached his first 50 in the Championship all season, slamming a highly entertaining 68 including two murderous sixes.

Lancashire kept chasing even as wickets continued to fall, and had reached 225 for seven when a storm forced the match to be abandoned as a draw.

Yesterday's National League game was another disappointment, with Glamorgan piling up a big score in their 45 overs and Lancashire finishing well short.

Gary Yates and Graham Lloyd, two stalwarts of previous one-day success who have been out of favour this season, made their point ahead of next Sunday's C&G semi final at Leicester.

Yates, who took two for 23 on his only previous appearance in the C&G quarter final, put the brakes on again with one for 20 in nine overs, and Lloyd scored the only half century of Lancashire's reply.

They now return to Championship action against Yorkshire at Old Trafford tomorrow with Neil Fairbrother and Peter Martin both major doubts after missing yesterday's game.