UPBEAT Jon Baldwin says he wants Cherry Tree to do the Ribblesdale League a favour tomorrow when they look to topple leaders Baxenden.

Baldwin is aware that all eyes will be on Back Lane as fourth-placed Cherry Tree travel to face Ian Austin’s men in the pick of the programme – and he is in the mood to cause a shock.

“I think it is getting to the stage where teams are looking for Baxen-den’s results now,” he said. “Teams are probably looking for them to slip up, especially after Read lost a couple of times and Barnoldswick had their slow start.

“It could get to the stage where they start to run away with it but we are going there to give it our best shot.”

Baldwin is certain his side can impress and they seem back to form after recording two top wins on the spin against Whalley and Settle.

“They were different run chases,” he said. “Against Whalley it was a tough track and hard graft and last week we chased down a big target against Settle. We felt confident of getting those runs and we do have a good line-up.

“Settle probably fancied their chances against us and I said to the lads that it was a good chance to test ourselves against a side that is probably better on paper.

“It is the same against Baxenden – but we don’t play cricket on paper do we?”

Cherry Tree have a solid bowling attack with Baldwin, Andreas Sudnik, Rob Hump-hreys and Dan Lord all in double figures for wickets so far this season and that pleases the captain.

“We don’t have a Jaffar Nazir or a Raouf Akbar who you can virtually guarantee will knock a team over,” he said.

“But we are solid and Andreas and myself have 30 wickets between us and Rob, Dan and Joe Bolton are also bowling well.

“We know we need to get Babar Naeem and Ian Austin out early to put a bit of pressure on the rest of the Baxenden batting – and we will give it our best.”

Third-placed Clitheroe go to improving Barn-oldswick, while Whalley face the long trip to Settle in another game that promises much.

Earby head to Clitheroe for their game with Ribbles-dale Wanderers, while Great Harwood make the trip to Ribchester Road for their game with Salesbury.

Read look to end their losing run against Oswaldtwistle Immanuel. Chris Holt’s men have not won since their success at Baxenden on May 22, a win that briefly took them top.

Edenfield look to claim their first league win of the season when they go to Padiham and skipper Greg Smithson is hoping that his men can take their Twenty20 form into the Ribblesdale League.

They have won both their games so far in the Lancashire League T20 and the captain said: “It would be nice to have that success on a Saturday.”

SATURDAY FIXTURES

Barnoldswick v Clitheroe, Baxenden v Cherry Tree, Oswaldtwistle Immanuel v Read, Padiham v Edenfield, Ribblesdale Wanderers v Earby, Salesbury v Great Harwood, Settle v Whalley.