Durose enters new territory

Alan Durose

CRICKET:

ROYTON skipper Alan Durose takes a step into the unknown on Sunday when his side battle it out in the Twenty20 finals at Middleton.

Durose’s men face the competition hosts at 10.30am, in a repeat of last weekend’s Lake Garage Central Lancashire League clash, which Middleton narrowly won.

And for the captain it is a first — he has never played in the finals stage of the tournament, and the same can be said about a number of the club’s young players.

He said: “I am looking forward to Sunday because from a personal point of view it will be a brand new experience, not having played in this format before.

“For a lot of the young lads it is their first time, so the aim is to soak it up and enjoy it more than anything else.

“Anything can happen in knock-out cricket — it is all about what happens on the day rather than any previous form.

“It does not really matter or help that we played them in our last league game. This is a one-off.”

While Durose believes Royton have a good chance of progressing to the 4.30pm final against either Littleborough or Rochdale, he knows the Paddock outfit are in for a stern test of their credentials.

He added: “I do not think there is much difference between the two sides. We competed well in our last game.

“They are a good side with a strong winning mentality, and they have good experience within the squad.

“The presence of Steve Davey is a big plus for them without a doubt.

“Middleton is one of the best venues to play at, and they are very well-supported. It all makes for a good day of cricket.

“I think some of our keenest fans will come along and cheer us on, so hopefully it will become quite vocal.”

Veteran all-rounder John Punchard comes in for highly-rated youngster Callum Porteous (16).