Captain sets his team a 100-point target to win the top-flight title

Cricket - Five games to go, five wins required

Captain David Clarke has issued a 100-point target for Peterborough Town in the rest of the Northants Premier Division season. Town beat reigning champions Rushden at Bretton Gate last weekend to keep alive their faint hopes of winning a fourth title in five years.

Thecity side are nowthird, but 44 points behind longtime leaders Old Northamptonians with just five matches to go.

That means there are only 100 points available for Town, but Clarke believes claiming every one of themwill be good enough to win the league.

“I honestly believe we will finish top if we win all five matches,” Clarke stated. “We have a couple of tough games left, including against the curent top two(ONsandFinedon), but we proved on Saturdaywecanbeatthebestteams in the league.

“Old Northamptonians are having a great season, but they have sometoughfixtures left andthey will feel the pressure if they see us coming up behind them.

“Beating Rushden was huge for us. The confidence we will get from winning by a comfortable margin is huge.”

Fast bowler Jamie Smith is available after a two-week break. He is attempting to knockeitheryoungall-rounder Mohammed Danyaal or experienced slow bowler Richard Kendall out of Town’s line-up for a game at Northampton Saints on Saturday.

SaintsdrewatBrettonGate earlierinthesummer, butit’s a game Town will expect to win onawicketthatisusuallygood to bat on.

“We’ll try and get a big score and put the pressure on them,” Clarke added.

“They played well at our place, but we are playing better now.”

Remaining games: ONs v Rushden (a), Saints (h), Rushton (h), Town (h), Finedon (h).

Finedon v Brixworth (a), Rushden (h), Saints (a), Town (h), ONs (a)

Town v Saints (a), Rushton (h), Finedon (a), ONs (h), Wellingborough (h)

Alex Mitchell hits out during his swashbuckling innings of 45 from 37 balls for Peterborough Town against Rushden.