CALLUM Clarke has praised home grown professional Ben Heap ahead of this weekend’s title showdown with top dogs Euxton at the Arbories.

Padiham recruited Heap from Lancashire League champions Lowerhouse instead of opting for an overseas signing and Clarke said: “Ben is a winner – he has proved a great signing.”

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The skipper said: “Sometimes you can bring an overseas lad in and it doesn’t mean as much to them as a player with local roots and who is part of the community all of the time.

“They just go home at the end of the season and that’s that.

“But Ben just lives down the road and, importantly, he has that winning mentality that is so crucial.”

It was a coup for Padiham, attracting a batsmen who clubbed 542 runs for the Lancashire League champions last term, including a top score of 96 and five half centuries.

“Look at what he did at Lowerhouse and when he agreed to come here we knew it would be a massive signing,” added Clarke.

“He has proved to be brilliant in the dressing room, and has given the club so much input, as well as scoring lots of runs.”

Clarke is quietly confident his side can leapfrog Section B leaders Euxton and win promotion.

Padiham lock horns with title favourites Euxton on Sunday in what is a potential title decider at The Arbories with just seven points splitting the top two.

Before that, Padiham go to Barnoldswick on Saturday and Clarke said: “It is going to be a very tough weekend – we’ve played some great cricket over the last few weeks and we have a great belief.”

Clarke, who took charge at Padiham three years ago, added: “The most pleasing aspect is the way the youngsters have prospered this season.

“We’ve had to re-build the side over the last couple of years, investing in youth, so it has proved a period of transition.

“There was a huge turnover of players, and we lost a lot of senior men who had been with the club for a long time.

“However, we’ve seen some real talent emerge, with Curtis Meehan, a 16-year-old leg spinner, who has taken 34 wickets.

“Tony Burrows, a really promising batsman, is only 17, so there’s a real sense of energy about this team.”

Second place would mean the lottery of an end of season play-off joust against the team that finishes seventh in Section A.

And it is proving a real dogfight with Earby, Baxenden, Whalley, Oswaldtwistle and Cherry Tree, all involved in the battle to remain in the top flight.

But Padiham will be hoping to avoid the winner takes all final, and clinch the only automatic promotion berth.

“We are not even thinking about that – we want to win that top spot and go straight up.

“We are only looking at the play-off as a back up.

“If we win both games this weekend then we will be in the box seat – and that’s our aim.”