Ribblesdale League: Harwood consistency search (7 Aug 1998)

7 August 1998

Harwood consistency search

The Lancashire Evening Telegraph

Great Harwood are searching for the missing ingredient as the Ribblesdale League championship race starts to hot up - consistency.

The Cliffe Park outfit go into tomorrow's game at fourth from bottom Whalley knowing they cannot afford anymore slip ups if they are to peg back long time leaders Padiham.

Gordon Simpson's side have just eight games left in which to erase the 11 point deficit which separates them from the league leaders.

And whether or not they can do it all depends on their ability to finish off basement sides - something which has proved difficult over the course of the season.

"We've done really well against the top sides like Cherry Tree and Padiham," said Simpson, who is currently having to watch from the sidelines due to a side injury.

"But there have been times when we've struggled to bowl out some of the teams nearer the bottom of the league.

"We are firing on all cylinders at the moment after last week's win against Baxenden but we've got to keep the momentum going." One man who has not had a problem taking wickets so far this season is professional Charles Dagnall.

Another five-wicket haul last Saturday - which helped to skittle Baxenden for 35 - put the Cumbrian seamer on 56 wickets, second only behind Jonathan Fielding in the league's leading wicket takers.

"Charles has been magnificent for us this season," said Simpson.

"We were taking a bit of a risk on him at the start of the season because nobody had really heard of him.

"But he's been a captain's dream with the ball and he has also chipped in with some useful runs.

"We've just got to give him more support in the field."

If that can start with a win at Station Road tomorrow then Harwood are more than capable of putting a run together which could set up a potential championship decider at Padiham on the last day of the season.

"Padiham might have opened up a bit of a gap but you won't find any of us giving it up.

"If we can bowl more sides out then we are confident we can take it to the final game."

Tomorrow's fixtures: Baxenden v Cherry Tree, Blackburn Northern v Barnoldswick, Earby v Clitheroe, Edenfield v Ribblesdale Wanderers, Oswaldtwistle Immanuel v Read, Padiham v Settle, Whalley v Great Harwood.

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