LANCASHIRE'S left-arm spinner Gary Keedy finally looks set to claim the senior spinning spot when the new domestic season begins next month.

The 33 year-old has been forced down the Old Trafford pecking order in recent times due to presence of the world's leading Test match wicket- taker Muttiah Muralitharan.

But now things should be different for Keedy, who is almost certain to be selected in the starting XI for the LV Division One opener against Surrey at the Oval on April 16. He will, however, have an eye on up-and-coming Simon Marshall.

"It's difficult when people like Murali come along, because I would like to have a good run at it and settle into a rhythm," said Keedy, who took six wickets in three games on Lanca- shire's pre-season tour of the UAE.

Keedy has taken 481 wickets in 157 first-class matches - and even finished as the top English qualified spinner in county cricket with 72 wickets in 2004.

That prompted some to tip him for England honours - until Monty Panesar came on the scene.

Even with Murali in the ranks, Keedy has always been an instrumental figure in the one-day game, particularly Twenty20 cricket in which spinners can be lethal.

But over the past two seasons, he has been joined in the limited overs formats - Twenty20, the Friends Provident Trophy and Pro40 - by leg-spinner Marshall.

Marshall was arguably Lancashire's player of the Pro Arch Series in the UAE with 11 wickets in four games recently.

Although Keedy says there is no reason why the pair can't forge a successful partnership in four-day cricket, it is odds on that the 25 year-old will have to bide his time.

"He has not played a huge amount of first class cricket, so through pure weight of experience I've probably got the edge at the minute," added Keedy.

"I'm a little bit older than he is and he is still finding his way. But I think if the conditions are right, there is no reason why we can't play two spinners. There is nothing wrong with pressure on anybody's position and Simon proved in the UAE just how good a bowler he is.

"He is ideally suited to one-day cricket at the moment because he is quite hard to hit down the ground. He bowls it that little bit quicker than me, so batsman can't really get down the wicket, and he is also excellent at building pressure.

"He will be the first to admit that he perhaps needs to work on his leg-spinner."

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