MASTER blaster Paul Gallagher admits his start to Ribblesdale League life was better than he could have ever imagined after his breathtaking debut for Edenfield on Saturday – and reckons he now has a lot to live up to at Gincroft Lane.

The former Bacup star, who moved from Lanehead to Edenfield over the winter, hit a quite sensational 185 not out for his new club as they put Settle to the sword on the opening day – and new professional Chris Read then claimed seven wickets.

“I think both myself and Ready may have raised expectation levels and they’ll be wanting that every week,” laughed the 25-year-old. “Yes, it is a great start – I hoped to do well but never imagined that.

“But the main thing was that we finished with the win and 12 points, we want to push on and challenge and that was the ideal start.”

Gallagher faced just 145 balls and hit 23 fours and six sixes on his way to the score and he hopes that start can inspire the rest of the team.

They have struggled for consistency in recent seasons and Gallagher thinks he and Read can help change that and put some silverware in the Gincroft Lane trophy cabinet.

“Aside from skipper Greg Smithson, Billy Slinger and Mark Burns it is a fairly young team here at Eden-field,” added Gallagher. “I have been playing first team cricket at Bacup for the last seven years and Ready has been around the leagues for seven or eight years and we have that experience.

“Our aim is to win something this year and we are going on four fronts if you include the Lancashire League Twenty20 – and I have already got Friday, June 17, in the diary when we play Bacup.

“It will be strange playing against Bacup but I am still in tough with a few of the lads through work and football and I am sure I will get a bit of banter.”