Cards must fall right for county

GREATER Manchester’s bowlers take on Warwick and Worcester on Sunday (2pm) acknowledging they need a minor miracle if they are to qualify for the semi-finals of this year’s Endsleigh County Championship.

Following a heavy defeat at the hands of Shropshire in their last group match, Manchester know they must register an emphatic victory over their Midlands rivals and hope that the other group match between Shropshire and North Midlands is a tight affair.

Said home-team manager Keith Rudman: “That last defeat means we are on a minus aggregate.

DIFFICULT
“With all four counties having won one game each, two of those are going to end up with two wins, so it will go down to aggregate.

“Being honest, I have to say that even if we win we are non-favourites to qualify.

“But we have picked a difficult home green (North’s, Hyde) and have packed the team with local players who know it well.

“That also means that some of our top players at home will now be going away so we are hopeful on that front, too.”

Draw -

At North’s (Manchester names first): Matt Jones v Gareth Herbert; David Walker v Peter Davenport; Andrew Buckley v Carl Fielding; Chris Haynes v Ben Harris; Chris Heyes v Anthony Bracken; John Davies v Tom Palmer; Ben Gloag v Paul Hemming; Gareth Gwilliam v Justin Hemmings; Colin Price v Steve Wallace; Ryan Bancroft v Paul Gamsby; Mike Gee v Darren Round; Lee Turner v Steve Darling.

At Moor Lane BC, Birmingham: Andy Cairns v Ross Dunkley; Nigel Greenhalgh v Neil Clarke; Jimmy Derby v Steve Freer; Darren Griffiths v Ryan Prosser; Deaf Ferris v Gary Morton; Matt Gillies v Steve Jones; Jonathan Copeland v Jason Galvin; Michael Clough v Peter Dunkley; Gary Ellis v Greg Smith; Stephen leach v Tom Pritchard; Ben Phillips v Simon Trentham; Darren Holt v Phil Clinton.
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