LANCASHIRE championship cricket is set to enter a new hi-tech era.

And the man set to flick the switches is new Australian coach Dav Whatmore.

His innovative but typically Aussie approach to the game spurred Sri Lanka to the incredible heights of World Cup victory.

And the Old Trafford faithful hope that Whatmore can combine one-day supremacy with a more spirited and professional attitude to the four day game.

Speaking from Nairobi, where Sri Lanka are playing in a one-day international tournament, Whatmore outlined his hopes for the 1997 season.

"This is a different class of challenge and a different grade of cricket.

"But I enjoy all that and in many ways this will be tougher than international cricket.

"There are certain principles cross-referring to both the longer game and one day cricket. In the shorter version you need a little bit more urgency - so too in certain parts of the longer game.

"You have to try and get some advantage early on or else you are playing catch-up cricket," he said. That urgency will be achieved by an injection of typical Australian aggression and the use of the most modern coaching methods.

Whatmore aims to combine the latest in biomechanical research, nutritional information, physiological technology and psychological tuning to achieve his aims.

"One is always a product of your environment and the system I was exposed to was the same as Dean Jones and Michael Bevan and others who have succeeded in the English game.

"The basic system we have been exposed to is one of aggression, but with an understanding of recent developments," Whatmore expanded.

But the Lancashire players should not expect to be force-fed a diet of new ideas and approaches.

Dav added: "I do not know too much about the players who have not played international cricket but I do not think that will take too much time.

"I think I have to treat each individual case as it comes and I do not want to do too much too soon."

The Sri Lankans became famous for their dazzling strokeplay - typified by player of the series Jayasuriya - from the very start of their one day innings. Whatmore, though, will not be asking Jason Gallian and Mike Atherton to flail the willow from the word "go".

"That kind of approach cannot be manufactured and you need a certain type of player to pull that off," he added.

The Victorian played seven Tests for Australia in 1979 and 1980 and one, against Pakistan in Melbourne, as a team-mate of Lancashire Seconds coach and Lancashire League stalwart Peter Sleep.

Sleep is certain that Whatmore has the necessary qualities to turn the county's championship fortunes around.

"He is a quiet sort of bloke, but very gritty. Dav played hard but very fair. He did not like to give his wicket away and I don't think I ever saw him drop a catch at slip. He will probably show more in fighting spirit in the championship than the first team have this year. Victorians always have that attitude - win at all costs and take no prisoners.

"We are a brilliant one day side but Dav has obviously got the equipment for Test level as well."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.