LANCASHIRE cricket manager Mike Watkinson was pleased with the appointment of Stuart Law as captain and is relishing working with the Aussie batsman.

Watkinson said: "I'm really looking forward to it.

"Having chatted to Stuey about how he wants to take the role on, and how it fits with some of the ideas I have, I think it will work well.

"Stuey wants to take the team forward himself in many areas and I welcome that."

Meanwhile, Watkinson insists his side are relishing their opening County Championship fixture of the 2008 season at Surrey, the scene of despair in September when the Red Rose county narrowly missed out on the title.

Lancashire saw their hopes of a first outright title win in 73 years vanish at the Brit Oval after they fell 25 runs short of chasing down a formidable 489-run victory target in a dramatic end to the 2007 domestic season.

Watkinson said: "They are all tough games. Yes, it's hard to come straight back to where the last game of the season was, but everybody is built up and looking forward to the first game of the season so it's a tough match wherever you go.

"We have a lot of self-belief as a side and when the disappointment drifted away there was a real feelgood factor about what we nearly achieved.

"We need to capture those moments in a positive way."