Lancs to go all way

Lancashire are getting a little impatient in their bid to win the County Championship. To put it into perspective how long they have been waiting; Adolf Hitler started causing problems and we Brits had a decent relationship with the Russians. It was 1934 to be exact. Admittedly they split the title with Surrey in 1950 but northerners have never been prone to share anything with those southern 'softies' so it doesn't count. Their long wait might be about to come to an end, however. Before the current round of matches Lancashire were just 22 points behind leaders Yorkshire, who have tailed off following a strong start. What really appeals about Lancashire's odds of 9/2 with Sporting Odds is the presence of Muttiah Muralitharan in their ranks. The greatest wicket-taker ever is not a bad bloke to throw the ball to if you are being frustrated by a couple of county no-marks who reckon a doosra is just a good score at Scrabble. Murali has already had an impact. He spun the Red Rose county into finals days of Twenty20 with four for 18 against Warwickshire last week. His presence could be crucial with both Yorkshire and Sussex, who were second, boasting quality spinners. The Yorkies have the young prodigy Adil Rashid, who shows no signs of slowing down in his upward learning curve, while Sussex have Pakistani mystery men Mushtaq Ahmed and Saqlain Mushtaq. So with Murali Lancashire appear to be on an even footing and the gulf in prices is probably not justified for the points difference and personnel. The signing of VVS Laxman, the Indian batting star, to replace Brad Hodge when he flies out to prepare for Australia's Twenty20 World Cup campaign, is also a sign of Lancashire's desperation. Laxman arrives after the Test series with England. He could turn up just in time for a title push. Verdict: 2pts Lancashire to win Championship @ 9/2 (Sporting Odds)