In-form Vernons Carus are ready to pounce on leaders Heysham in the Palace Shield
Vernon Carus face a pivotal moment this weekend in their quest for promotion this season.
Ian Dunn’s men welcome Palace Shield Championship leaders Heysham to Factory Lane tomorrow.
Vernons are certainly the form team in the league at the moment after picking up seven wins from their last eight completed matches.
After a slow start, Vernons have now moved up to sixth in the table, just 15 points behind their opponents tomorrow.
A tight division will get even tighter after this weekend should Vernons topple the leaders and after being relegated last season, the club is eager to return to the Northern Premier Cricket league Division Two.
“This weekend is quite a big one for us,” said skipper Dunn.
“We are playing top of the league and if we can win and close that gap at the top, we could potentially be top three, top four.
“If we can get into that position heading into the second half of the season and on the back of the recent results we have been getting, hopefully we can kick on from that and challenge for the top spot.
“That is what we want to do, we want to go straight back up. We enjoyed playing in that league last year; there’s some good cricketers and a really healthy competition, so we want to get back there as quick as we can.”
Heysham should provide stern opposition, but Dunn believes momentum is with his men.
“I know Heysham have signed a number of new players, but I don’t know an awful lot about them,” he said.
“I look at the stats and they are doing well. Their opening batsman Josh Dixon has come from Netherfield and he’s done well. He’s somebody we must try to get out early.
“But we are not too focused on who we are playing, it’s about what we do.
“If you look at the table now, we are sixth, but we are only 15 points off top.
“It’s really tight – I think just eight points separate the four teams above us. The goal is to go up but it’s about taking each week at a time.”
Vernons travel to Kirkham & Wesham on Sunday in the quarter-finals of the Meyler Cup.
On paper, Ian Dunn’s men go into the encounter as favourites against the Palace Shield Division One outfit, but the captain is not taking anything for granted.
K&W are going well in the division below, currently sitting in third spot while, in the last round, they defeated Palace Shield Championship leaders Heysham by 17 runs on their own patch.
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“We have been in a few finals over the years,” said Dunn. “Would be nice to get to another final and win this one.
“Our goal at the start of the season was to win the league and the cup and we are still in both at the minute.
“It won’t be an easy game at Kirkham & Wesham. Sundays are always a difficult one in terms of getting your full XI out but I think we have got a strong enough team to give them a good game.”
NPCL Div One: Blackpool v Netherfield, Carlisle v Longridge, Chorley v Settle, Kendal v Garstang, Leyland v St Annes.
NPCL Div Two: Barrow v Fleetwood, Carnforth v Lytham, F&B v Thonton, Morecambe v Penwortham, Preston v Great Eccleston, Whalley v Euxton.
PS Champ: Fylde v Burneside, Garstang 2nds v Torrisholme, Lancaster v Mawdesley, Netherfield v Westgate, Penrith v Eccleston, Vernon Carus v Heysham.