Cricket captains still aiming high

Sidley skipper Scott Woodroffe conceded that recent setbacks indicate that rival Division Two clubs are beginning to work his side out but still believes a top four spot beckons.

The Gullivers outfit were riding high early in the campaign on the back of some superhuman performances from overseas star Imran Javed. Although he has continued to claim an abundance of wickets with the ball, the Pakistani phenomenon has endured a lean spell with the bat which has coincided with Sidley's current slump.

Woodroffe admitted: "We have struggled without him making runs although in our last win he didn't get many either. We can make scores without him but we are not doing ourselves any favours. We have played everybody now though and we know we are definitely among the top four."

Second-from-bottom Preston Nomads at home would appear the ideal opposition for Sidley to arrest the slide on Saturday July 12.

Meanwhile, Bexhill captain Steve Phillimore believes his team are only three players away from being able to challenge for a promotion place.

Despite sitting bottom of the pile, the congested nature of the table, coupled with his own team's much-improved display in their winning draw against Haywards Heath at the weekend leads him to believe that the addition of a small number of players would catapult them into the upper echelons of the division.

He said: "There are no outstanding sides but the gap to the premier is getting bigger. At the moment we are a Division Two club but who knows? With the addition of three good players, all of a sudden, in our division that team in the bottom half would be a top three side."

Bexhill make the long trip to Roffey tomorrow.