Lancashire captain Stuart Law has warned players, supporters and pundits alike that winning the County Championship is no easy task.
The new Old Trafford skipper has been gearing up for the new campaign with a brief spell in the Twenty20 Indian Cricket League.
And he is aiming to lead the Red Rose county to their first outright four-day title since 1934, and the first top-flight trophy of any kind since they won the one-day National League One in 1999.
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Lancashire are once again favourites to win the LV Division One crown, with some bookmakers pricing them as short as 7/2.
But Law said: "I am sick of people saying we are going to win it. It is not going to be that easy. We have to play decent cricket to even contemplate thinking about challenging for anything.
"We have a good chance, if we play to our potential, of winning something. But if you go in thinking you are going to win this, that and the other, you are going to be disappointed."
Lancashire return to the Oval to play Surrey in the four-day opener on Wednesday, repeating the final fixture of last season when Law and co narrowly failed to win the Championship title in dramatic fashion.
Revenge has been on the agenda ever since the fixtures were published in November, but the former Queensland skipper continued: "We are not looking to go to Surrey and wipe the floor with them. If we do it is a bonus, but if we compete at a high level that will be pleasing.
"We have to start solidly. Not necessarily win games, but compete very forcefully - that will stand us in good stead for the rest of the season."
Lancashire had three days of friendly games scheduled against Yorkshire this week, with two of them washed out. They won the one-day game on Monday.
That means that the squad will now have to be content with outdoor net practice in the lead up to their trip to the capital.
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