ACCRINGTON professional Ockert Erasmus hopes the cup can kick-start their season.

The Thorneyholme Road club got off to a promising start, winning their opening game at Colne, but have suffered four straight defeats and a wash-out since then.

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The gloom was lifted on Sunday with a Worsley Cup first round win at Rawtenstall, where Accrington recovered from 30-5 to beat last year’s runner’s up by three wickets.

As they head into another league and cup double header weekend, Erasmus wants progress on both fronts.

He said: “We started all right against Colne but everything went pear-shaped.

“We’re bowling and fielding all right but the batting has let us down.

“It happened again on Sunday but Ramiz Hussain and Jacob Clarke scored a few runs.

“At 30-5 you’re not expecting to win a game but the guys showed good character.”

Erasmus, in his second year with the club after three years at East Lancs, feels that could be a turning point.

“Hopefully that will change things for us. We needed that,” said the South African, who admits he has fallen short in the batting stakes.

“The bowling is going all right but I haven’t done anything with the bat so I can’t say much.

“In the first game I got 60-odd but two out of the five games I threw it away. I don’t feel like I’m out of form. I think it’s just cricket.”

But with a trip to Bacup next up in the cup on Saturday and home game with rivals Rishton the following day, Erasmus feels they are the perfect fixtures to get back on track.

“We’re looking forward to Bacup in the cup, and hopefully getting through that. That’s what we will work on, to have a say in the cup and working towards improving in the league,” he said.

“If we can improve on last year’s sixth placed finish then that would be a positive.

“Rishton is a bit of a derby for us and always a good game. “