PETER Sleep has signed up to be the next season's professional at new champions Read - and he knows he has got a hard act to follow.

Pakistan paid man Akram Raza helped the Whalley Road side lift their first title since 1979 last Saturday but Read have now called on their former pro Sleep to help in next season's defence of the championship.

The former Australian Test all-rounder has decided to call it a day at Transco Lancashire League side Rishton and move back to the club, who he led to a Ramsbottom Cup victory in 2000.

"I am going back just for one year. I could have done with them finishing second or third this season as it means there is a bit of pressure now!" laughed the Aussie.

"But I hope I am going to do well and we will see what happens. Hopefully we can win it again."

Sleep felt his presence at first love Rishton had overshadowed the performance of their professionals in recent seasons.

"I have had a few hassles at Rishton, there are a few things behind the scenes and I thought I would perhaps be better out of it.

"Because I have pro-ed before, everyone looks up to me, the youngsters come to me, and I have found perhaps I am just as good as the pros. I am in some ways doing their job.

"I think this is why some of the recent professionals have under-performed. I know Clinton Perrin last year felt the pressure with me there as I was doing as well as him.

"And I think Paul Adams was a bit of a disappointment this season.

"I got 57 wickets and about 930 runs and was doing the job of a pro while I think a bowling pro, who does not bad, should have got more than 37 wickets.

"But saying that we finished fourth in the league and, with sub pros, we won seven out of our last nine games. They did well for us.

"Rishton is my first love, I live here, my step son plays for them and it is like being back home for me, playing for them.

"But I have got the opportunity to pro again and hopefully now I will do a reasonable job for Read."

Skipper Warren Eastham, in his first year at the helm at Read is delighted to have his good friend Peter at the club - despite Sleep winding his former team-mates up a couple of games ago by saying he didn't think Read had the killer instinct to win the league.

"Having Peter as our new professional will help us," admitted a delighted Eastham.

"I know it seems strange after winning the title to let your professional go, but the club identified how they wanted to progress and they have had the courage to take that decision.

"Peter has scored more than 900 runs and taken 50 wickets or more in the Lancashire League this summer, so his record speaks for itself.

"We have won the title, but now we want to ensure that we go on and enjoy a few more seasons of success.

"We have set the benchmark and we are happy to have done that.

"We will be trying to improve in areas where we know we can, and we will also be trying to bring in some new faces who will hopefully help us raise our standards again."

Warren Eastham quotes:

1 On the season

"It would have been nicer to have won the title by playing rather than having a rained off day, but the championship is won over the season - not on one day.

"Over the season we have won more games than the other clubs and lost fewer than them, so we have earned our reward.

"And it has been pleasing because we have won it as a unit.

"Just looking at the averages, as you do at the end of the season when it comes round to awards time, we don't really have one outstanding performer.

"Craig Walton is probably the one player who stands out, but everyone has reached a pleasingly high standard.

"A few players have proved match-winners like Andrew Turner and Frank Barden, but we have worked hard as a team and not relied on individuals."

TABLE

P W T L Nr Bp Pts

Read... 26 15 0 4 7 14 103

Barnoldswick... 26 14 0 6 6 14 96

Cherry Tree... 26 12 1 8 5 18 93

Settle... 26 12 0 10 4 18 86

Ribblesdale W... 26 11 0 9 6 18 86

Earby... 26 13 0 10 3 14 85

Clitheroe... 26 11 0 11 4 20 83

Padiham... 26 10 0 10 5 12 74

Gt Harwood... 26 10 1 11 4 10 73

Whalley... 26 10 0 11 5 8 68

Baxenden... 26 7 0 11 8 10 61

Oswaldtwistle... 26 6 0 11 9 12 60

Bbn Northern... 26 5 0 13 8 10 51

Edenfield... 26 4 0 15 7 8 42