Anchor has faith in young prospects

FIRST CLASS START . . . youngster Jamie Taylor has been among the wickets at Moorside

MOORSIDE captain Danny Anchor has already got one eye on next year ­- and it's not even half-time in the 2016 JW Lees Brewery Pennine Cricket League season!

The loss of Glen McFadyean ­- the seamer has moved to Peterborough ­- coupled with injuries to Lee Warburton and Richard Baines, has given the Turf Pit Lane club the chance to look to the future.

To help plug the gaps, Anchor has turned to a couple of youngsters, and in Jamie Taylor and Jack Gartside, they have unearthed two players with reams of potential.

Bowler Taylor was all set for a summer in the second XI, but with McFadyean's departure and Warburton struggling to manage a long-standing groin problem, he has been thrust into the firsts.

Batsman Gartside has filled in for Baines, who has just returned from a five-week spell on the sidelines.

Anchor said: "Jamie Taylor has stepped up from the seconds and done really well.

"He has been a bonus for us. He bowls seam up and at a decent pace as well.

"We've had to give youth a chance, because of what's happened with Glen (McFadyean) and Lee (Warburton).

"Although his form has dropped off a little lately, Jack got some decent runs early on. Like Jamie, it's all good experience for him."

Moorside were expected to mount a challenge for promotion from the Championship ­- they sit fifth in the table ­- but even though there is plenty of game-time left in the season to break into the top two, Anchor admits they would be best-suited at this stage to remaining in the second tier.

He added: "Our batters have been out of form, it's our bowlers who have got us where we are in the league.

"An opportunity to blood some of the younger players can only be good in the long run.

"It's important to aim high, but we've also got to concentrate on laying some foundations for the next couple of years."

Taylor claimed three wickets in last Sunday's defeat at Read in the LCB Cup.

Defending 162, Moorside had reduced the hosts to 80 for seven until a crucial eighth-wicket stand put paid to their hopes of a quarter-final place.

Tomorrow's league test is against an improving Werneth side, who have gained a foothold in mid-table after a positive run of results.

At the top end of the table, it's first versus third as Milnrow welcome Stayley, while second-placed Heyside are set to entertain Micklehurst.

Friarmere have the leading three sides in their sights, and they go to Shaw.