The first day of the third England-South Africa Cornhill Test drew 11,000, with huge gaps on the terraces. There are 4,000 tickets unsold for today and nearly 7,000 for tomorrow. While sales for the Trent Bridge Test later this month are encouraging, Headingley has noted a worrying lack of interest in tickets for the final Test in August.

Cumbes believes the game is ``at the cross-roads. Support has remained high for the last decade but now we're back to the kind of first-day crowds of old. We must go forward, not backwards. It's possible rowdyism has deterred people.''

He attributes the lack of interest to poor weather, England's lack of success, the absence of a Botham-figure in the team, the competing attraction of the World Cup and lukewarm interest aroused by the tourists.

``The restrictions imposed on bringing in alchohol and fancy dress have had no adverse impact,'' Cumbes added. ``We aren't against a fun atmosphere here, indeed we encourage it. A red wig and a red face is okay, but on safety grounds we have to draw the line.''

That line was drawn following many letters from spectators objecting to crowd behaviour after the Ashes Test last year and Lancashire are not alone in getting a bulging postbag.

Warwickshire and the England and Wales Cricket Board received around 350 letters after the troubles at Edgbaston during the first Test and cricket's leaders then realised that steps had to be taken.

Cumbes said that last summer most alcohol brought into the ground was of the high gravity variety, six and seven per cent. ``Enough of that and you want to fly,'' he said. Bars on the ground sold weaker beer.

Replying to criticism that the club were killjoys, Lancashire secretary Dave Edmundson said: ``If someone wants to turn up dressed as a nun that's fine, as long as they don't interfere with the enjoyment of people who have paid a lot of money to watch the game.''