WHILE the rest of the Veka Ribblesdale League have seemingly surrendered the title to defending champions Read, the chase for the championship won't be given up by Settle.

The North Yorkshire club is nine points adrift of the leaders but are doggedly sticking to their coat tails with just one defeat so far this season.

And captain Andrew Davidson insists that his side is serious about going for top spot.

"Our performances would indicate that," he said. "We are not giving it up. We have just got to keep winning games and hope that they slip up, which they will do.

"In their last two visits here we have rolled them over for 42 and 77, so their track record at our place is not very good.

"When they put their strongest side out they have effectively got three pros in Danny Law, Peter Sleep and Oliver Newby and we can't compete on that front.

"But if you want to look at it that that way we have got two, in terms of ability, in our pro and Stuart Hornby.

"We have also got variety, strength in depth and match-winners from one to 10."

The league's top two meet for the first time this season at Settle's Marshfield ground at the end of the month and Settle will be hoping they are still in touching distance when they take on Warren Eastham's side.

Their current form suggests they could stay the pace. In their last 20 games, stretching back to the start of last August, Settle have lost just twice and tied once - against Read.

They finished fourth last summer and have been strengthened by the arrival of Indian professional Robin Morris and the fact that Hornby has continued a handy tradition the club has of bringing former professionals back into the amateur ranks.

Freed from the extra responsibility of paid-man pressures, Hornby is proving a potent all-rounder with a five-wicket haul against Cherry Tree last Saturday paving the way for a comfortable six-wicket win.

Morris saw Settle home to maximum points with an unbeaten half-century and the Mumbai all-rounder has made a favourable impression at the club, already etching his place in its history by hitting the biggest six ever seen at Marshfield in his innings of 132 against Blackburn Northern last month.

"He's a match-winner," added Davidson, who topped the league's bowling averages last season but has so far only had to use himself sparingly this time around.

"If he doesn't do something with the bat, he will do something with the ball.

"He doesn't look like he will rip through a side, but his statistics and performances show that he is someone to be treated with respect."

With the bowling attack in good order, it's been Settle's consistency with the bat that has pleased the long-serving Davidson the most.

He reckons it has taken four years of his captaincy to change the club's psychology to a winning one after too long in the doldrums.

And 20 years after he helped Settle to their last title success, Davidson believes it could happen again.

He said: "I've played in many bad Settle sides since 1973, but I would really say this one is the best. It's better than that championship-winning side.

"For so long there was little confidence, but that's there now, which is important. People aren't frightened to express themselves."

SETTLE have been handed a bye into the third round of the Lancashire Cup after scheduled opponents Great Harwood were expelled from the competition for failing to fulfil the fixture.