Lancashire League: Watch 'tis pace! (6 Jun 1998)

6 June 1998

Watch 'tis pace!

Lancashire Evening Telegraph

ENFIELD will be at full strength for the first time this season at home to Todmorden tomorrow as they bid to stay with the Lancashire League pacesetters.

And with professional Ottis Gibson getting back to full fitness after an early season back problem, skipper Andy Barker is hopeful of mounting a sustained title challenge.

The captain's brother Gary makes a welcome return to the top of the batting order after a spell away, all-rounder Bernard Reidy is available after missing last Sunday's game and wicket-keeper batsman Russell Edmonds is free from exam commitments.

Enfield are currently fifth after their derby win over Accrington last weekend but could return to joint top spot if the leaders slip-up tomorrow.

Barker believes that sides will be ready to gamble more on positive results as the season goes on after feeling their way round the controversial new rules.

And he believes more maximum point hauls could pave the way for the likes of Enfield to make rapid strides towards the summit.

"Nobody is running away with it and I feel somebody could come from the pack," added Barker.

"I have said that if we could hang in there and then get everybody back then 'Watch this space.' I think we will be there or thereabouts."

West Indian professional Gibson has made a sizeable contribution with 331 league runs and 17 wickets in his first season at Dill Hill Lane.

But Barker believes the best is still to come from the Barbadian all-rounder. "He is getting fit now after injuring his back in the first game of the season at Haslingden when he was warming up.

"On Sunday he ran in and bowled like we knew he could. He did not pick up a lot of wickets but he bowled with pace and looked hostile."

Tomorrow's game throws up an intruiging battle between Gibson and Barbados team-mate Vasbert Drakes.

Drakes also produced a very quick spell for Todmorden against Ramsbottom in the Worsley Cup last weekend, although both players were probably dismayed to see the mid-week downpours which may have taken some pace out of the pitch. "Vasbert Drakes has shown what a good pro he is. Some of the amateurs are not really performing but he has shown what one man can do, like Keith Arthurton at Rawtenstall," said Barker.

However, the Enfield skipper and top order batsman is still backing his men to overcome a Todmorden side sitting second from bottom of the league.

He added: "We have home advantage and we are pretty confident on the back of a win. With everybody firing I don't think it's a trip they will be looking forward to."

Enfield's unlikely ascent to the top of the table tomorrow would depend on leaders Nelson returning pointless from Burnley and East Lancs and Rishton sharing two points each in the game of the day at Alexandra Meadows.

Champions Haslingden, who are just seven points adrfit in fourth, face a difficult game at Ramsbottom.

Tomorrow's fixtures: Burnley v Nelson, Church v Accrington, Colne v Lowerhouse, East Lancs v Rishton, Enfield v Todmorden, Ramsbottom v Haslingden, Rawtenstall v Bacup.

RAWTENSTALL professional Keith Arthurton has been named in an international squad to take part in next week's three-day Harrogate Festival.

The in-form West Indian, who currently tops the Lancashire League batting averages, is in a squad of 13 to face Scotland in the first semi-final of the festival trophy on Monday.

The international side replaces Yorkshire who face Essex in the semi-finals of the Benson and Hedges Cup.

Northamptonshire and Hampshire meet in the other semi-final at Harrogate on Tuesday.

Source :: Lancashire Evening Telegraph (https://www.reednews.co.uk/let/)