By Gary Laycock, of Colne

IT'S D-day on Monday when I'll finally hear the verdict on my appeal over the ban the Lancashire League have imposed on me following our game with Enfield earlier in the season.

I don't want to say too much on the whole thing at this stage but I just think they're being a bit harsh.

I'm not condoning what Nick Moulding and Joe Scuderi did whatsoever and I understand the responsibility of a captain in circumstances like that.

But those two have already been punished for what happened so why I've been also been implicated, just because I'm the captain, is beyond me.

I watched Alec Stewart nudge into a Sri Lankan player the other week and nothing was said.

I have a few words with Andy Barker and end up getting reprimanded.

It's amateur cricket, when all is said and done, and I've since talked to Andy on the 'phone and he's behind me.

The loss of Nick is a big blow because he'll be missing for next week's Worsley Cup semi final against Haslingden.

He's been playing really, really well this season so we're going to miss him.

But Glynn Sedman will come in as his replacement and he took five wickets in last year's semi-final against Hassy so let's hope that's a lucky omen. It should be a great game.

I think we have the better bowling attack but they probably have a stronger batting line-up.

I know Brad McNamara is a class player but then so is Joe Scuderi.

But if we can just get into the final again it would be great for the club.

Our start to the season wasn't so clever and we were third from bottom not so long ago.

But we've started to get our acts together on the batting front in the last couple of weeks and we've just had two great wins over Lowerhouse and Burnley.

With the strength in depth we now have at the club - there are five or six second team players who are all good enough to play first team cricket - then hopefully we'll be able to keep that form going for the rest of the season.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.