RIBBLESDALE Wanderers skipper Terry Braithwaite believes his side is in a crucial phase of the campaign as they bid to meet their pre-season target.

The Clitheroe outfit is currently just below half-way in the Veka Ribblesdale League table.

But with back-to-back wins behind them, Braithwaite is hoping that a continued good run can keep the 2000 champions in with a chance of a top four finish.

He said: "We had a run where we played most of the top sides one week after another, but now we're in a run where we are playing teams around us in the table and if we win those we can climb back up.

"We play Cherry Tree at home on Saturday and while that's never an easy game we have a chance of winning it.

"Then we play Baxenden and if we could win there, depending on other results we could be in the top four."

Wanderers finished fifth last season, and Braithwaite admits that he would like to go one better this time around.

"That's the aim from ball one, to be in the top four," he added. "If you have a bad run you still have a chance to rectify it and we are only just past half-way.

"We still have everyone to play and let's see what we can do."

The Church Meadow side should be strengthened for the last couple of months of the season by the return of opening bowler Richard Whalley from university.

Braithwaite has also been encouraged by the efforts of his son John, teenage batsman Ryan Gladwin and the performance of Martin Peel behind the stumps.

But it's two of the club's stalwarts who look most likely to hold the key to Wanderers' aspirations with both also chasing personal milestones.

Professional Shahid Nawaz is just 45 runs away from completing 10,000 runs in the league.

Now in his ninth season as a Ribblesdale League pro, the former Read paid man has only once failed to reach 1,000 runs.

The Pakistani stroke-maker, who set a league best tally of 1,608 runs five years ago, is on course to reach four figures again with 536 runs so far, including two centuries, in his seventh year at Church Meadow.

"You know what you are going to get from Shahid and you can't knock a record like that," said Braithwaite.

Howard, meanwhile, is again chasing the mantle as the league's top amateur wicket-taker.

The all-rounder headed the charts last season with 62 victims and leads the way again this time with 35 wickets so far, including his second five-wicket haul in last Saturday's win over bottom side Whalley.

"I've normally been around the 40-wicket mark so I thought last year was a one-off. But this year it has been going exactly the same and I'd love to do it again," said Howard, who at 28 has 14 years of first-team cricket behind him.

The former captain, who guided the club to their championship success four years ago, could have his work cut out, however, as his wedding at the end of August will rule him out of the final four games.

But he believes Wanderers are capable of filling a top four spot and will be going flat out to try and get them in the frame before tying the knot.

"There's always room for improvement, no matter how well you are doing," he added.

"I think the standard of the league is improving and there are six or seven very good batting pros. It's always good to test yourself against the best."