TODMORDEN'S new Australian duo are hoping for a top five spot this season.

Todmorden finished eighth last season and Aussie skipper Nigel Hunter and professional Dan Marsh are hoping to build on that.

They certainly warmed themselves to the Centre Vale crowd in the opening game.

Hunter made 56 and Marsh took six wickets in the 31 run victory over Rawtenstall. They travel to Haslingden today before Rishton visit Centre Vale tomorrow.

Aussie Hunter is in his first season in the Lancashire League. His last club were Rochdale in the Central Lancashire League before he took a year out and then joined Todmorden for this new campaign.

"Todmorden is a traditional English village cricket club. I lived there when I first came over in the mid 1980s. I know a lot of people already and it is a great little club," he said.

"It was great to win the first match but it is difficult to gauge. It was only the first game and was a very good wicket.

"Obviously I enjoyed getting a half century especially in my first game for a new club, no doubt I'll quickly turn it around!" he joked. And he was pleased for his fellow countryman Marsh, in his second season as a paid man at Todmorden, his last back in 1996.

"He enjoyed taking six wickets. It is quite difficult for Aussies who come over. They are used to playing on a hard first wicket. I would like a pound for every time an Australian professional gets caught in front of the wicket early on in the season!

"But Dan batted and bowled quite well, he kept the length."

Hunter isn't quite sure of the strength of opposition his side will be facing this season.

"It is so difficult. Obviously I've heard of some of the professionals, from my days at Rochdale, but I'm letting my team tell me about everyone else!

"It is too early to tell at this point but if we win more games than we lose then we can finish in fourth or fifth place.

"But at the moment we are taking it one game at a time -- even one ball at a time. Halfway through the season,we can probably assess how we are doing. If we get a bit of momentum going then you never know what is possible."

Meanwhile, half of the East Lancs team will be glued to their mobiles today during the tea interval of their game against Bacup as the check up on news in the Blackburn Combination Football League.

Skipper Phil Mercer and team-mates Paul Kelly, Paul Turner and Chris Riley all regularly turn out for Colbourne Trophies Premier Division outfit, The Railway Hotel.

And the losers of today's basement battle between The Railway and St Mary's College Old Boys will be relegated to the Second Division.

Tomorrow's other fixtures:

Accrington v Haslingden

Burnley v Enfield

East Lancs v Colne

Nelson v Bacup

Ramsbottom v Lowerhouse

Rawtenstall v Church