Peterborough Town will need plenty of skill and nerve during another big weekend at Bretton Gate
Town secured a draw after a thrilling Northants Premier Division clash at Geddington when all four results had been possible going into the final ball of the match. They lost top spot as a result, but stretched an unbeaten top-flight run to 37 matches.
The city side host neighbours Oundle Town, who have enjoyed a solid start to the Premier Division on Saturday (11am), before a potentially explosive ECB Club KO Cup game against recent National champions Swardeston at Bretton Gate on Sunday (1pm).
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Hide AdProgress to the latter stages of a national competition is a stated aim for Town who have swept local clubs aside in the last three years.
"Swardeston will be a good test of where we are as a club,” Town skipper David Clarke said. “They won the national final at Lord’s in 2019 and, although they’ve lost a couple of strong players from that team, they are still a top side.
"But so are we and if we can get past this round we will fancy our chances of going a long way.
"Certainly the skill and nerve under presure we showed at Geddington are good signs. We looked like losing that game when we were struggling with the bat and when we came under the cosh with the ball, but we found a way of fighting back twice which shows the excellent character we have in the side.
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Hide Ad"We have targetted a deep run in a national competition, but we are not ready to give up out Northants titles either.
"We will be looking to warm up for Swardeston by beating an Oundle side who have started the season well. That should be a good game an on a good wicket at our place.”
Town expect to be at full strength for both games with in-form Alex Mitchell on standby for the Swardestone game. Oundle should include talented teenage opener Sam Jarvis who swapped Bretton Gate for Milton Road in search of Premier Division cricket in the close season.
Sawrdeston have struggled in the highly-competitive East Anglian Premier Division this season and sit next-to-bottom after four defeats in five matches. They did thrash Lincs Premier Division Bourne in the previous round of the National Club KO after smashing 362 in 40 overs, albeit on a small ground with vastly differention dimensions to Bretton Gate.
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Hide AdBourne host Market Deeping at the Abbey Lawn in the Lincs Premier Division A15 derby (11.30am). The teams couldn’t experienced different seasons with Bourne winning all five matches to sit second in the table, while Deeping have lost all five games and have only newly-promoted Skegness below them.
Castor host Cambs Division Two leaders Southill Park at Port Lane (noon).
Leading local Saturday fixtures
Northants Premier Division
Peterborough Town v Oundle.
Lincs Premier Division
Bourne v Market Deeping
Spalding v Skegness.
Cambs Division One
Cambridge St Giles v Stamford
March v Ramsey
Wisbech v Foxton Granta.
Cambs Division Two
Castor v Southill Park
Ufford Park v Sawston & Babraham 2nds.