Ribblesdale League

RIBBLESDALE Wanderers captain Terry Braithwaite is not viewing tomorrow's trip to table-topping Cherry Tree as a cup final dress rehearsal.

The two sides clash in the Ramsbottom Cup climax at Baxenden at the end of the month.

But with Cherry Tree desperate to maintain their run of maximum points from seven consecutive games to stave off the challenge of Clitheroe, the league game takes on added importance.

And it brings together two of the form professionals in Cherry Tree's Naeem Ashraf and Gurinder Singh of Ribblesdale.

"With the exception of Ashraf, Gurinder is probably the best in the league on current form," Braithwaite.

"He doesn't think he is batting well - but he is getting runs.

"And he is mopping up tails whereas he used to get the top three or four and nobody else.

"We are playing some good cricket and have started winning in the league although we had a bit of a hiccough at Padiham.

"So we are not going into the game thinking we are going to get hammered out of sight.

"We gave Cherry Tree a good game at home and hopefully we can peg them back a little bit.

"Every one of our wins has been a seven points win. So when we win, we do it in style.

"But Cherry Tree will be a different kettle of fish.

"They bat a long way down whereas a lot of other sides struggle after the top five or six.

"The cup will be a different game altogether as the professionals are restricted to 10 overs," he added.

Both sides have availability problems with the leaders missing three first choice batsmen in Michael Veevers, Simon Hulme and Ian Simpson.

Ribblesdale Wanderers have John Rain on holiday but will also be without the services of their under 15s - who have been given regular first team experience - due to their involvement in the Lancashire Cup semi-final at Preston on Sunday.

One dilemma for Braithwaite is that a win would play into the hands of local rivals Clitheroe, who travel to Whalley.

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