The Peterborough Evening Telegraph
Town don’t want to witness title celebrations this weekend
Cricket - League leaders visit Bretton Gate
Peterborough Town skipper David Clarke does not want to see champions-elect Old Northamptonians celebrating a deserved Northants Premier Division title success at Bretton Gate on Saturday (September 3, 11.30am). The top dogs are in town this weekend and a win could seal a surprise title win for the unbeaten outfit.
But Clarke insists his team have plenty to play for themselves, mostnotably ensuring a top two finish for the fifth year in a row.
Townarecurrentlythird, 11 points behind second-placed Finedon with three matches remaining, so they can’t afford anyslip-ups, evenagainst a team who hammered them earlier in the season.
“ON’s deserve to win the league,” Clarke admitted. “To go unbeaten for 19 matches is agreat achievementinatough competition.
“Theyoutplayed us at their place earlier in the season which was a disappointment as manformanweareasgood as them. “Good luck to them, but we want to take their unbeaten rec0rd away this weekend as wearedeterminedto claim the runners-up spot.
“Tofinishinthetoptwofor thefifthyearinarowwouldbe a strong effort considering we lost Paul McMahon to injury before the season started and after the poor run of form we suffered in the middle of the summer.”
Rain potentially saved Town from a fifth defeat of the Premier Division season last weekend.
Play was halted at Bretton GatewithTown115-8fromone ball under33overs. That meagre total wasboostedby40extras, including 30 wides!
Clarke top scored with 24 andhe’snamedanunchanged sidetofaceON’s, thusresisting the temptation to strengthen a second team who have dropped dangerously close to the Division One drop zone.
Town are just four points and two places off the relegation places with three games to go. They are at mid-table FinedonsecondsonSaturday.
Raindidn’t doTownanyfavourslastweekendasasuperb innings of 56 not out (from 54 balls) from Marcus Howard had seen them to 105-1 from just 21 overs at fellow strugglers Isham.