HAMISH Anthony is cracking the whip at Bentgate but it's all in a good cause.

The Leeward Islands all-rounder is demanding his Haslingden team-mates reproduce their red-hot cup form in the bread-and-butter league matches to give them a fighting chance of holding onto their E W Cartons Lancashire League crown.

There has been a big difference between cup and league results for the double holders this season.

With Anthony having contributed both wickets and runs in his first Bentgate season, Haslingden have reached the semi-finals of the Lees Brewery Inter-League Challenge Cup and are also in the last four of the Jennings Worsley Cup as they defend their trophy.

But they remain a little bit off the pace being set by Nelson at the top of the league table.

And, with a visit to Rishton - one of the pretenders to their title - coming up tomorrow, they cannot afford too many more slips.

The professional believes the team needs to concentrate on each league game as fiercely as they do in the knockout competitions where you only get one chance.

"I think the guys are relaxing too much in the league," he said.

"They know they are a good team but you still have to work hard in every game.

"In the cup matches, they are putting in more effort because you know that if you lose that's it.

"But in the league, everyone knows that if you lose a game you still have time to recover. "That's not the way to approach it and I have been having a go at them. But I think they are learning.

"My batting has not been too bad, neither has my bowling but I am not really taking enough wickets.

"You have to bowl teams out to get a win and sometimes it can be easier to win by chasing runs.

"If it hadn't rained last week, I think we would have won."

Tomorrow's games: Colne v Burnley; Enfield v Church; Lowerhouse v Nelson; Ramsbottom v East Lancs; Rawtenstall v Accrington; Rishton v Haslingden; Todmorden v Bacup.

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