WARREN HEGG has pledged to come out fighting after surely the worst weekend of his career.

First the popular Lancashire captain was disgracefully snubbed by the England selectors David Graveney and Duncan Fletcher, who did not even have the courtesy to telephone him after his loyalty throughout the winter.

Then Hegg suffered a double defeat at the Oval, with Mark Ramprakash steering Surrey to a three-wicket win in the tense Championship match on Saturday before Lancashire collapsed to 68 all out in their first Norwich Union National League match of the season yesterday.

That equalled their lowest ever score in the competition, formerly the Sunday League, and Surrey knocked off the runs in only 11.2 overs to romp to a six-wicket win.

But Hegg is not the type to let it get him down.

He is already looking forward to a chance to get back on track in the Championship in the game against Sussex at Old Trafford on Wednesday, saying: "I have a massive job to do with Lancashire and I can put all my effort into that."

But he was understandably devastated and furious at the way he has been treated by the England hierarchy.

He trailed all over India without playing a game before Christmas, and was snubbed again in New Zealand in the new year even though in a single appearance at Queenstown it was obvious he was a much better wicket keeper and batsman than Essex's James Foster.

Now when Foster is injured, England have reverted to the old stager Alec Stewart.

But what really annoyed Hegg was the way he found out - on the grapevine at the Oval on Saturday morning as Lancashire prepared for the last day. "They didn't even have the courtesy to ring and tell me," he said, his diplomacy finally stretched beyond breaking point.

"I thought I was in with a shout. After all, they took me all over the world with them in the winter and, even though I ended up being a glorified drinks waiter, I worked hard.

"I've had a fairly good start to this season, no one had told me I would not be considered, so I was bound to believe I had a chance. I left my phone on all night, thinking I would get a call either way, but there was nothing. I obviously don't fit in with the management's plans."

Graveney, the long-serving chairman of selectors, was expected to phone Hegg today to apologise. But he was facing a frosty response.

Meanwhile cricket manager Mike Watkinson apologised to Lancashire's supporters for yesterday's performance.

"We have every sympathy for the fans who made the long trip south," he said. "We don't want to be beaten like that again."