Dave to bow out on a high

Walsall captain Dave Middleton is poised to bow out with a piece of history tomorrow after announcing he is to quit as skipper.

Middleton will stand down after two years at the helm following tomorrow's final match of the season at home to Shifnal at noon. But he is almost certain to end his reign on a high by leading the club to their first back-to-back Birmingham League title for 70 years.

Walsall need just two points to secure a second successive championship victory, and even they will only be needed if second place Knowle and Dorridge pick up a maximum 24 points against West Bromwich Dartmouth.

Middleton plans to continue playing next summer for the club he has served in two spells but he has decided to hand over the reins.

He said: "I think I've done my stint and now it's time for somebody else to take it on and enjoy the pressure of being captain of Walsall.

"I have enjoyed every minute of it and thankfully we've been able to have some success.

"It's been a great honour to be captain of a club as big as Walsall with the kind of big history that the club has.

"It's the club I grew up at. My son is playing there now, my dad still comes to the club and I have no intention of leaving."

Middleton's side have moved to the brink of an historic second successive title with a run of four wins and three winning draws in their last seven matches.

They will be crowned champions again once they reach 160 runs or take five wickets to gain the two bonus points they require.

But Middleton admitted that he feared just three months ago that last season's triumph could be followed up with relegation to the first division.

He said: "If I had been told in the middle of June we would be where we are now I would have laughed.

"When we lost to Kidderminster and Wellington and then got rolled over for 71 by Himley I was actually thinking about relegation.

"At that stage Nathan Round was the only batsman in form. He has been in form all season but after that run people like Chris Tranter, Paul Baker, Gerrie Snyman and Graham Archer all found some form."