EDENFIELD skipper Brett Storey is looking to professional Mike Smethurst to come good against reigning Jennings Ribblesdale League champions Padiham and county colleague Mark Harvey at The Arbories tomorrow.

Storey has been taking more notice than most of team news from Old Trafford this season, though not through choice.

Injuries and World Cup calls left openings in the Lancashire ranks that handed fringe men like Smethurst a chance but, at the same time, have proved costly to Edenfield.

For they have only had their new professional available for two of their five matches so far, because of his county promotion.

"It's been good for him but not so good for us, trying to get substitute professionals and the lack of continuity," said Storey.

"Although it's only his first year on the (Lancashire) staff, he had a good tour of South Africa and has done well.

"But it has given us problems. For example, last Friday I got a call saying he was playing for Lancashire.

"We lined up a possible replacement then I got another call later in the day saying he was 12th man and would be released to play for us."

The Gincroft Lane skipper was certainly pleased that Smethurst is not involved in the current championship game at Old Trafford.

"We were talking at the weekend and he is looking for a hard track. Padiham could suit him and, in the right conditions, I think he could be quick.

"Though he bowled nine overs off his full run on Saturday and it didn't go very well."

Smethurst actually went for nearly five an over in Edenfield's defeat at Cherry Tree which left them in the bottom half of the table with only one win and seven points so far.

It is also significant that they have yet to claim any bowling bonus points, though Storey's prime concern - now that he is not worrying about finding a sub-pro this weekend - is to get his batsmen to realise their potential.

"Mike is primarily a bowler and we are struggling with our batting at the moment," added the captain.

"We are swapping the order around to try to improve things."

Saturday's games: Barnoldswick v Settle, Blackburn N v Baxenden, Clitheroe v Oswaldtwistle Imm, Great Harwood v Ribblesdale Wand, Padiham v Edenfield, Read v Cherry Tree, Whalley v Earby.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.