Fylde coast cricket preview: Fleetwood CC skipper enjoying a competitive competition

Last year’s champions are one of three teams yet to taste victory in the division, having lost twice and seen another game abandoned.

Fleetwood meet another winless team on Saturday, when they travel to bottom club Settle.

No team has a perfect record after three games as the top three – Netherfield, Kendal and Garstang – have two wins and an abandonment; something Clerkin believes shows the competition’s strength.

He said: “With only having 18 league games, you lose a couple, have a couple called off and you’re normally worrying.

“It’s interesting this year though because there’s so many strong teams that I think everyone will beat everyone else.

“I think that’s good to see. Everyone keeps asking who I think is going to win the league but every team is strong.

“People might have thought (fourth-placed) Fulwood and Broughton might have struggled, but they have won two of the first three.

“You want to play at the highest level possible and it’s been an exciting time so far.”

Having started the year with four wins in five, Fleetwood had only won one of the next six before last Sunday’s LCF Knock Out defeat of Roe Green.

Two of those matches were rain-related call-offs but Clerkin said it merely highlighted cricket’s ups and downs.

He explained: “We played some bad cricket at times, along with some silly mistakes.

“However, we played at Thornton Cleveleys last Friday (in the NPCL T20 competition) and were much more like ourselves.

“We had some good intensity against Roe Green and just got over the line, but cricket is one of those sports.

“It can be the greatest leveller in the world, so you have to enjoy the high times when they come along.”

SATURDAY FIXTURES

Northern Premier Cricket League First Division (12.30pm): Settle v Fleetwood.

Second Division (12.30pm): Barrow v Thornton Cleveleys, Euxton v St Annes, Vernon Carus v Great Eccleston.

Palace Shield Premier Division (1pm): Lancaster v Fylde, Rufford v Kirkham and Wesham.

Liverpool and District Cricket Competition First Division (12pm): Sefton Park v Lytham.

SUNDAY FIXTURES

Northern Premier Cricket League First Division (12.30pm): Fulwood and Broughton v Blackpool.