Peterborough Town not playing well, but still in a great place ahead of a big game as captain backs a return to form for star man

Peterborough Town skipper David Clarke insists his team are right where they need to be even though their form has deserted them in recent weeks.
Josh Smith in action for Peterborough Town.Josh Smith in action for Peterborough Town.
Josh Smith in action for Peterborough Town.

Town followed a poor T20 campaign with a disappointing performance in a drawn Northants Premier Division game at Desborough last weekend when only the vagaries of the competition’s rules covering weather interventions delivered a decent points return.

Unbeaten Town actually gained a couple of points on likely title rivals Finedon even though they had enjoyed the better of another rain-ruined drawn game at Oundle Town!

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Town closed on 109-4 in 27 overs chasing Desborough’s 50-over score of 252 all out. Finedon had reduced Oundle to 172-8 after posting 233 at Milton Road.

Mark Edwards took five wickets for Peterborough Town at Desborough.Mark Edwards took five wickets for Peterborough Town at Desborough.
Mark Edwards took five wickets for Peterborough Town at Desborough.

"It was a strange afternoon,” Clarke admitted. “Desborough played pretty well whereas we were disappointing and yet we ended up with more points than them.

"We lost 23 overs to rain early in the game, but Desborough were still entitled to bat 50 overs and to leave us with just 27 overs. We were never going to win in such a short space of time, so we got all the run charts out and made sure we scored enough runs to get the maximum bonus points.

"We didn’t play well, but it was very difficult bowling with a wet ball. The lads kept going though and we ended up with maxiumum bowling points as well.”

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Town have a big Premier Division game at Bretton Gate on Saturday (11am) when third-placed Kislingbury Temperance are the visitors.

Kislingbury are the surprise package in this season’s Premier Division. They were promoted from Division One at the end of last season, but already boast a convincing win over Town in the Northants T20 Championship this summer.

But that success was built around an outstanding knock from import Fabid Ahmed who is rumoured to have left the club after an outstanding start to the summer. Kislingbury are however thought to have already sorted an overseas replacement.

"They will be dangerous opponents,” Clarke added. “They will need watching. They knew what they were doing in the T20 game and it looks like they might have already replaced Fabid so they still will be very dangerous.

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"We are where we want to be in the league though. We’ve not been at our best lately, but we are still top and still unbeaten so there is no lack of confidence from me in the team’s ability.”

Clarke is also confident star batsman Josh Smith will soon find his best form.

Since a brilliant century on the opening day of the Premier Division, Smith has scored just 105 runs in six top-flight innings. He was caught in the covers for seven at Desborough last weekend.

Smith scored 688 runs at 53 in 16 Premier Division knocks last season and Clarke is convinced that sort of form will soon return.

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"I have no worries about Josh,” Clarke stated. “He has such a great record at this level and one good knock will get him going again.

"He still contributes plenty with the ball and in the field anyway.”

Teenage leg-spinner Rohan Kundaje is now available for selection, while Nick Paskins is chasing a first-team recall after an unbeaten ton in Division One for Town seconds last weekend and there’s an outside chance star all-rounder Lewis Bruce could return after injury against Kislingbury.

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