DAVE: Twenty-seven points off Darwen in two league games, not many teams will have done that this year!

The day did not start that well after losing the toss on an absolute scorcher of a day, we then stuck to the plan of bowling our overs as quickly as possible whilst trying to apply as much pressure on the batters.

After 40 overs we had managed to restrict them to 104-1, which was far too slow for them after winning the toss and batting.

This was testament to some fine bowling from Kabir and Kevin in the heat, bowling 20 and 25 overs respectively.

It put huge pressure on their middle order batters as they had to try and get to 225, which would be classed as a par score in the circumstances.

Chris Miller then bowled an outstanding seven overs of off-spin, bowling impeccable lines when the batters were looking to attack taking 5-40 at the end of the innings, For a 15-year-old lad Chris is showing great mental toughness as he does not get fazed by the situation of bowling at the end of the innings and is at his best at the moment when the batter is attacking him. Well-done mate!!

Enter the majestic Terry Hunte, with an innings to which justice cannot be done with any amount of superlatives!

But I'll have a go.

He makes it look so effortless, caressing the ball to all parts of the Shap Road ground when and wherever he wanted to with consummate ease, dismissing any short pitch bowling, clipping any leg side bowling with that characteristic flick over the boundary.

Pitch it up if you dare onto off stump and then go fetch it from over extra cover.

Apparently he was a good player back in 1993, well hey news-flash is that he doesn't look that bad now, like a good bottle of red maturing with age, just short of a thousand league runs, 14,000 runs in total.

Six games to go who knows what he can achieve if he carries on like this.

Keep going Tel, it was a pleasure to watch from a superstitious place in the dressing room!

Thanks also to all of the supporters who turned out on Ladies day, the busiest ladies day I've seen in the last five years, which is great for the club and also the match as it creates a good atmosphere.

Two games coming this weekend with a tough test away to Morecambe on Saturday, and then Preston at home in the cup on Sunday where we will be looking for a winning performance to give us a chance of qualifying.

More sun would be nice but maybe a hint of breeze to cool us down!

TOMMY: Fifteen more points into the kitty at a crucial stage of the season, Leyland Daf has always been a tricky place to go I have found over the years and Saturday proved exactly that.

We were thankful to our professional (Benky) on Saturday because he batted superbly well on a poorish wicket compared to the rest of us who rather fell away, to easily for my liking, and as the weekends tick by one by one we must concentrate every ball and not just when we fancy it.

So our batting was a concern, not that some of our players give the impression of being concerned as they dance about and laugh at each other while others are out toiling in the middle, maybe this is the correct relaxed attitude to take, but the captain struggles to relax just as much as them, which again they seem to find funny!

Saturday's bowling was a change though and Scotty Clem produced a stirling performance for us to collect six wickets for only 23 runs which, when you are only protecting 142, isn't a bad effort, especially for his grey haired captain.

All of the other bowlers also contributed to a very good win.

We now have two home games in the next two weeks, which means points must be gained properly from good quality cricket, batting, bowling and not forgetting fielding.

The importance of our next two games also magnifies because after them we have our weekend off, so points must be gained wherever possible.

On a lighter note, this week the club hopes that by the time this is read, we will have a new, possible future player, as the high-quality pedigree Girdhari family are expecting a new baby, so all our very best goes to Rishi and his wife there.

Finally let's hope the rain abates this week as I don't want a bowler friendly wicket! (sorry - bowlers only a joke).