Peterborough Town in battle of the top two, Cambridgeshire team announced

Town extended their lead to 16 points with a 10-wicket win in a rain-affected game at Horton House last weekend.

ONs managed to leapfrog Finedon into second after bowling a strong Northampton Saints out for 77, while the reigning champions were denied the chance to push for victory at Oundle Town by the rain.

“ONs have just crept into the picture,” Town skipper David Clarke said.

“Everyone has been talking about us and Finedon, but all of a sudden ONs are our closest challengers so it’s a big game this weekend.

“ONs are a strong, competitive side with a couple of exceptional players, but then so are we, so we can start the game with confidence.

“We won at their place earlier this season, but we can’t read anything into that as the track was so poor.

“It should be a great game on a better pitch at the Gate.

“We did well to get the game played at Horton last weekend.

“We were desperate to play because it was a game we fancied winning and when we did eventually start we played very well.

“We bowled well and we were clinical with the bat, taking advantage of some weak back-up bowling.”

All-rounder David Sayer and batsman Nick Paskins return to the Town squad for tomorrow’s game after missing the Horton trip, meaning the city side are at full strength.

Former Northants all-rounder Rob White is the obvious dangerman for Town this weekend.

He is the third highest run scorer in the Premier Division behind Saints’ Emilio Gay and Town’s Chris Milner with 517 runs, and he’s the second highest wicket-taker with his accurate legspin accounting for 37 victims.

“I’d like to think we have more depth to our side,” Clarke, who is back in action following illness, added.

“That’s certainly the case in the bowling department where we have all bases covered, but Rob White is a player capable of dominating a match at our level.

“We’ve dismissed him cheaply in our last two meetings though so hopefully we can get him out early again.”

It’s 20 points for a win so Town could be knocked off top spot if they are beaten, depending on how many bonus points they collect.

Resurgent Oundle are at Brigstock tomorrow.

Town’s Rob Sayer plays for Cambridgeshire against Suffolk in a three-day Unicorns Championship match at Ipswich School from Sunday (August 4).

Wisbech Town all-rounder James Williams skippers the side which also includes clubmate Josh Bowers.

Cambs: E. Ballard, W. Hussain, C. Guest, L. Thomason, J. Williams, R. Sayer, J. Bowers, K. Mackenzie, Z. Akther, S. Rippington, R. Singh.

FIXTURES

Saturday, August 3

NORTHANTS LEAGUE

(Noon) Premier Division: Brigstock v Oundle Town, Peterborough Town v Old Northamptonians.

LINCS PREMIER DIVISION

(Noon): Lindum v Bourne, Market Deeping v Woodhall Spa.

CambS League

(12.30pm) Division One: March Town v Foxton, Wisbech Town v Cambridge 2nds.

Division Two: Castor v Cambridge St Giles, Stamford Town v Huntingdon, Ufford Park v Waresley.

Sunday, August 4

UNICORNS CHAMPIONSHIP

(11am Sunday-Tuesday) Eastern Division: Suffolk v Cambridgshire (at Ipswich School).

RUTLAND LEAGUE

(1pm) Division One: Grantham v Barnack, King’s Keys v Peterborough Town, Market Deeping v Castor, Wisbech Town v Oundle Town.