FANS of Oulton Park Cricket Club won't be seeing Brian Lara gracing their Pinfold Lane ground this year, contrary to weekend national newspaper and teletext reports.

It was claimed the West Indies run machine approached Alderley Edge with a view to playing in the Murray Smith Cheshire County Cricket League for them while visiting his best friend, Manchester United footballer Dwight Yorke.

Edge won promotion along with Oulton Park to the ECB Premier in 2000, finishing as Division One champions one place ahead of the Little Budworth men.

Steve O'Shaughnessy, Alderley's captain, was quoted as saying: "I'm very optimistic Brian will come here. He is a world class player and imagine the boost it would give the league if he turned out for us.

But Edge secretary David Sharp rubbished the report, saying that Lara was invited to the club while staying with Yorke by West Indian legend Clive Lloyd, whose son Jason plays for them.

Any excitement which may have been generated around the county by the story has also been quickly quashed by league rules.

County League chairman David Humpage said: "The rules agreed by all our clubs allow overseas players, but not those who have appeared in first class cricket during the previous 12 months.

"We cannot make an exception in Lara's case, famous though he is, as we have to be seen to be fair to every club in the league."

Lara holds both the world record for the highest first class inings of 501 not out, for Warwickshire against Durham, and the highest test score of 375 not out against England, both set in 1994.