WHEN you have played in a side which once lost 13 matches on the trot, you tend not to get carried away by a hint of success.

And that is exactly the attitude being taken by Lowerhouse skipper Gary Moorhouse, as he looks down on the rest of the Marsden BS Lancashire Cricket League this weekend.

Come what may in tomorrow's big West End clash with second-placed Ramsbottom, Lowerhouse will still be proud leaders, as they have a six-point advantage after only four games.

That sort of "insurance" pleases their captain but he certainly isn't getting over-excited at this stage of the season, despite a stunning maximum-points start.

"If we are still top of the table with four games to go, rather than four gone, I might be prepared to talk about our chances of winning something," he said.

"But it's only the very early stages of the season yet.

"Having said that, we are playing better this year, there's no doubt about that.

"And, while we haven't fired as a batting side, we have been bowling and fielding very well. "If the amateurs can put some runs together to back up professional Shawn Flegler, then hopefully we can keep it going.

"But the big tests are still to come.

"We were top after five games last season and eventually finished sixth.

"And the season before that we were doing all right with Craig Light and then went and lost 13 successive games.

"When that kind of thing happens, it helps you to keep your feet on the ground.

"But we know what we have to do to improve on last season.

"We finished sixth but we only won one of the games against the teams who were above us.

"You have to beat the top sides if you are going to do anything."

Some have pointed out that Lowerhouse have become accustomed to making a flying start before falling away in recent years and Moorhouse doesn't disagree.

But he feels there has been an unusual contributing factor.

"I am sure that part of the reason is that the fixtures don't seem to change much," added Moorhouse. "We seem to play the same teams in the opening weeks and they have not been the ones at the top in recent years.

"Then, in the middle of the season, we find ourselves playing the likes of Haslingden, Bacup, Rishton and Nelson back-to-back."

Lowerhouse, of course, are the one team never to have won either major trophy and, while there are no forecasts that the run will end this season, Gary does believe a lot of work has been done to put the club on the right lines.

"I suppose we have always been looked upon as something of a Cinderella club," he said.

"With Burnley carrying the town's name, they have also tended to get most of the younger players.

"But we have started to redress that balance and we have some decent young players coming along.

"We also have players in the first team who have a lot of experience, though they are still relatively young.

"They know what it's like at the two extremes, being top of the league and going on a 13-game losing streak.

"It's a big game for us against Ramsbottom but, as we have a six-point lead going into it, the pressure is really more on them than on us." There are a few big games tomorrow, as the Lancashire League breaks with the tradition of the past few decades and plays on FA Cup final day.

At Blackburn Road, high-flying Todmorden will provide a stern test for champions Rishton who must be desperate to get their act together after last weekend's double disaster.

And Bacup's clash with Nelson brings together two of the league's long-serving stalwarts in Roger Harper and Joe Scuderi.

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