Fylde coast cricket preview: Fleetwood CC captain’s challenge for Broadwater players
Fleetwood CC’s skipper thinks there is room for improvement after a good opening third of the season.
Declan Clerkin believes his Fleetwood CC team can still perform better despite an extremely promising start to their Northern Premier Cricket League campaign.
Looking to bounce back from last season’s relegation to division two, Fleetwood sit second and level on points with leaders Euxton as both have won their six completed matches so far.
The Broadwater club have also recorded two victories from three 40 Over Cup games ahead of this weekend’s double-header, which sees them host Preston in the league on Saturday and Blackpool in the cup 24 hours later.
“I’m pleased with the results but, performance-wise, we haven’t been at our best,” the captain told the Gazette.
“We were good on Saturday (the 152-run win at Penwortham) but, generally, we haven’t been able to put in a full performance yet.
“It’s nice to say there’s room for improvement after the start we’ve had, we’re in a decent position and hopefully we can string it all together on a consistent basis.
“What has been good though is that we’ve had a lot of different people contributing whereas, in the past, it might have been a couple with the ball and others with the bat.”
The match with Blackpool offers Fleetwood a swift chance for redemption after defeat in the NPCL’s T20 competition last Sunday.
Chasing an amended target of 170 in 18 overs after Blackpool posted 168-6, Fleetwood were all out for 102 with 11 balls left.
Clerkin reflected: “I was frustrated at how we performed in that game, we let ourselves down and threw it away.
“Losing is never nice but, obviously, it hurts more when it’s against Blackpool.”
SATURDAY
Northern Premier Cricket League First Division (12.30pm): Longridge v Blackpool, St Annes v Carlisle.
Northern Premier Cricket League Second Division (12.30pm): Fleetwood v Preston, Great Eccleston v Morecambe, Lytham v Fulwood and Broughton, Thornton Cleveleys v Whalley.
Palace Shield Championship (1pm): Heysham v Fylde.
Palace Shield First Division (1pm): Kirkham and Wesham v Burscough, Withnell Fold v Fleetwood 2.
SUNDAY
Northern Premier Cricket League 40 Over Cup (12.30pm): Fleetwood v Blackpool, Lytham v Fulwood and Broughton, Preston v St Annes, Thornton Cleveleys v Netherfield.