LANCASTER warmed up for their defence of the National Water Polo League title with a comfortable 16-6 win in a Northern Counties League match against Tyldesley - one of the sides they will face in the major competition which opens with games in Sheffield this weekend.

The locals will face Cheltenham and Polytechnic on Saturday and Manchester on Sunday - and are optimistic about their chances of retaining the championship despite missing Tom Curwen, Andrew Squires and Scott Carpenter, all of whom have been selected for the Great Britain Youth team competing in the European Youth Championships in Malta.