Ribblesdale League: Simpson backs his title chasers (18 June 1999)

18 June 1999

Ribblesdale League: Simpson backs his title chasers

The Lancashire Evening Telegraph

Great Harwood skipper Gordon Simpson is backing his team to get back on the Jennings Ribblesdale League title-trail with victory over Read tomorrow.

The men from the Cliffe got off to a flyer at the start of the season before a string of poor results saw them slip off the pace.

But a win at home to fourth-placed Read, who are seven points ahead of Harwood in the table, would resurrect their championship hopes and act as a timely shot in the arm.

"We've lost a couple of games in the last few weeks and that's been disappointing," said Simpson.

"Daniel Cheesbrough has been out injured and we've had a couple of other players missing for various reasons which has obviously affected us.

"But we've got to put that behind us now and get up there fighting again.

"We were in a strong position against Whalley last week until the rain came down.

"And we've got to build on that with another good display against Read."

The clash between the Ribblesdale League's fourth and fifth placed teams also brings together two of the most in-form professionals. Harwood's Indian opener Shantanu Sugwekar is currently averaging around 45 while Read's former Aussie Test star Peter Sleep has smashed over 300 runs at an average of 60.

And Simpson believes both men have what it takes to make their teams into title challengers this summer.

"Once we get a full side together I think we are good enough to get right back up there and make a challenge.

"Our pro Shantanu Sugewakar looks a fantastic player and as the wickets get harder he's going to get a lot of runs. And everyone knows all about Peter Sleep, because he's played Test cricket and scored a lot of runs wherever he has played.

"He's also a fairly unusual bowler and he will pose us problems in that department as well.

"And he's a great motivator who gets all the players around him going.

"I think they'll be up there as well come the end of the season because they're a better side than they were last summer.

"But rather than worrying about what they're going to do, we'll be concentrating on our own performance.

"And if we play to our own potential, then we've got to back ourselves to do the business and that's what I'll be telling the lads before we take the field."

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

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