CHERRY Tree skipper David Hayes was waiting anxiously for a telephone call this afternoon - to confirm that professional Naeem Ashraf had returned safely from a mercy mission back home to Pakistan.

Otherwise, the Jennings Ribblesdale League club were going to be left facing a last-minute search for substitute professionals for the weekend's double-header.

Anxious to make up the ground lost when last weekend's game at Earby was washed out, Cherry Tree are hopeful Ashraf will be back in time for tomorrow's game at home to Settle.

"His dad and brother were in a car crash so he had to return home last Saturday," said Hayes.

"We don't really know any other details except that we expect him back today.

"It's hardly ideal preparation, two trips around the world inside a couple of weeks and we don't know what he'll be like if he gets here.

"But with it being a double-header this weekend, it might be a mad panic to find subs if he doesn't."

After winning their opening match against Oswaldtwistle Immanuel, Cherry Tree were held up by the weather last Saturday.

A couple of years ago, Cherry Tree were THE team to beat in the Ribblesdale League and Hayes is hoping they can climb back to previous heights. "If you look back two years we had a squad of about 14 or 15 players and we have since maybe lost four or five of those players," he said.

"We still have a very good side when we are at full strength but we don't have the depth that we used to have after losing squad members. It might tell when the holiday period arrives so, while we are able to field a strong side, we need to be playing and winning."

Meanwhile, Shahid Nawaz has finally arrived in England and will play in Ribblesdale Wanderers' home game against Baxenden tomorrow.

The Pakistani professional was expected in time for the opening day of the season but had problems getting a flight due to cricket's World Cup.

"He arrived on Tuesday night after a 14 hour flight which was re-routed to Turkey but he's raring to go," said skipper Terry Braithwaite.

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

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