Himley keep alive title hopes
Himley captain Greg Wright believes the time for risks has arrived as his team look to keep alive their Birmingham League title hopes at West Bromwich Dartmouth.
Himley captain Greg Wright believes the time for risks has arrived as his team look to keep alive their Birmingham League title hopes at West Bromwich Dartmouth.
Wright's believes a repeat of last weekend's washout at Moseley would probably kill off his side's hopes of catching the leaders and claiming their first Birmingham League title.
He admits the 44-point gap between them and pace-setters Barnt Green may lead to a gamble or two in tomorrow's match.
He said: "Last weekend was frustrating but we didn't have Chris Whelan and Tim Heap available to us. Moseley had a full-strength side.
"So, looking at that and the other fixtures that were scheduled for last weekend, a rained-off game might not have been the worst thing.
"But we can't really afford the same this weekend. With the points gap and the number of games left to go another game being rained off would probably put a dampner on any hopes we have of the title.
"We only have an outside chance anyway but we feel that the chance is still there at the moment.
"We can't really afford to lose any more matches at this stage."
Himley expect to have Whelan and Heap available this weekend, meaning a full-strength team for Wright.
Kidderminster Victoria have their fingers crossed for dry conditions in the clash with bottom side Shifnal.
A club spokesman admitted the inclement weather which have marred their recent fixtures have caused much frustration in the Victoria camp.
With the club's Vice President's Day taking place, they have another reason to hope for better.
He said: "We are desperate to get full games in, that's the real problem. Last week was a wash-out again which is no good to anyone.
"It's getting very frustrating. We were in a good position a few weeks ago and since then the weather has deteriorated, no one has any momentum anymore.
"The forecast for the weekend is rain coming in across the Birmingham area. It could be a case of some teams getting a start and others not.
"As soon as you get into 20-30 over games it's a lottery. If you lose the toss you are up against it. Winning it is vital in such games. I don't think we've won one since the full length games ceased."
Ruki De Silva has finally been confirmed as West Bromwich Dartmouth's new skipper until the end of the season.
De Silva, formerly the club's vice captain, was handed the role on a temporary basis when Harshad Patel stood down.
Last week the club admitted it was more than likely he would be handed duties for the remainder of the campaign. That has now been confirmed at a club meeting this week.
Dartmouth, who are currently 10th in the table just four points clear of Leamington Spa, face a difficult test against fourth-placed Himley tomorrow which could prove crucial to their survival hopes.
Walsall skipper Paul Wicker expects the crunch clash with Knowle & Dorridge to have a major bearing on their title ambitions.
Wicker's second-placed side currently hold a mere 16-point advantage over their third-placed opponents, with leaders Barnt Green 22 points clear at the top.
He said: "It's the last one of the four which we new would be quite crucial to whether we would be in a position to mount a challenge.
"We said three or four weeks ago we would need to stay in a position close to Barnt Green.
"After this game we will have all of the sides in the top four out of the way."
Walsall welcome back Mo Sheikh for the clash.
Wicker added: "They are always fancied at the beginning of the year. Again they are proving they are there or thereabouts. They are a good side."
