Ribblesdale League: Fielding's set for key games (5 July 1997)

5 July 1997

Fielding's set for key games

Lancashire Evening Telegraph

JONATHAN Fielding faces one of the big matches of the season tomorrow ... followed two days later by one of the big matches of his life. The likeable Clitheroe professional leads his players into action against Great Harwood at Cliffe Park, knowing that victory will accomplish two objectives.

Even more distance will be put between the Chatburn Road men and Harwood in the Ribblesdale League title race while Cherry Tree will continue to be dogged by Clitheroe breathing down their neck.

But Fielding could be excused for having his mind preoccupied on other matters.

For on Tuesday he plays for the Minor Counties against the touring Australians at Jesmond in Newcastle and is determined to strike another blow in British sport's summer of success.

"It should be a terrific experience and I'm really looking forward to it," said Fielding.

"The nearest I've ever got to playing a touring Test side was as 12th man for Lancashire against the Aussies four years ago.

"The lads have been needling me all week during training to forget about the Aussies and concentrate on Baxenden (whom Clitheroe played today) and Great Harwood.

"It's difficult but I know, and all of us at Clitheroe know, that we have an important task ahead of us at Cliffe Park tomorrow."

The task is made even less easy by the perception among some Clitheroe followers that Harwood may be their bogey team.

"In the last three years they seem to have beaten us every time so they have almost become our bogey side," confirmed Fielding.

"This year we have a better team and we're on a winning trend and we know that a win puts Harwood quite a way behind us.

"It's not yet a two-horse race but I do think it's between three of us.

"Read, I think, have just lost too many games.

"So tomorrow's game is a significant one in the overall title picture."

Fielding's optimism about at last putting one over the Cliffe Park men is based on a number of factors of which greater strength in the batting department features strongly.

"Usually you find that if you get the first four out in most teams, they collapse," said Fielding, who has accumulated 402 runs - the third highest total in the league - and is the leading wicket-taker with 44.

"That's no disrespect to tail-enders - it's just the way it is.

"But with us we generally bat all the way down to nine.

"The top six you could put in a hat and just draw out the order every week.

"We are chasing well and also setting formidable totals.

"We're bowling well too but the main reason we're doing well is the strength of our batting.

"Also 50-50 games to the death are going our way. Against Barnoldswick they needed about 20 with eight wickets in hand and lost.

"To be in those situations and win shows that the spirit at the club is tremendous."

Fielding might therefore be hoping for another close encounter tomorrow, before routing the Aussies at Jesmond on Tuesday.

Fixtures: Barnoldswick v Edenfield, Baxenden v Read, Blackburn N v Earby, Cherry Tree v Whalley, Great Harwood v Clitheroe, Settle v Osw Immanuel, Padiham v Ribblesdale W.

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