READ skipper Warren Eastham is determined to haul his side out of their mini-slump when they host Whalley in the Jennings Ribblesdale League tomorrow.

Read have struggled in the last two games against Ribblesdale Wanderers and Padiham but Eastham is delighted with his side and is loving his new role as captain.

"It is superb," he said. "The team spirit is good, everyone's having a good time in the clubhouse, everything's going well.

"In the last few weeks we have lost a few but everyone goes through a bad run at one stage of the season, you just hope it won't happen to you, but it always does.

"We got hammered all over against Ribblesdale Wanderers last weekend. They were 239-3 but the rain saved us.

"And against Padiham it was tight actually. They always beat us anyway!

"But we're not ashamed to lose a couple. We had some good wins against Earby, Barnoldswick and Cherry Tree not so long ago and it seems when you find some consistency like that something comes along and bites you on the backside.

"But the good thing is we have had a little bad spell and are still involved."

The Whalley Road club could go top of the table with a win over fifth-from-bottom Whalley, a side Read would be expected to beat.

But Eastham is cautious. "There are no easy games. We go out thinking we can win every game but I am sure the Whalley lads will go into tomorrow's game thinking they can win.

"It only takes 10 balls to get a team out. But we are hoping to get something out of this weekend."

Eastham admits he thinks Read can win the league but says Cherry Tree will be tough to topple.

"I thought once they got to the top of the league they'd run away with it but they haven't done.

"They have such a consistent pro in Naeem Ashraf and if he does have a slip they always have someone else to bail them out and that's the difference. So it is a surprise they haven't gone further ahead."

Cherry Tree top the league, three points clear of Barnoldswick, Read and the suprise package of the season, Settle, who reached the Ramsbottom Cup final last weekend.

"I said a few weeks ago that Settle would be dark horses, they're bowling teams out for fun," said Eastham.

"Being a bowling side can be of benefit in that way because you can pick up two bonus points for bowling a side out and if you get seven points every win you can afford to lose one in four.

"We can't do that because we are more of a batting side."

Eastham is hoping Terry Little will be fit to face Whalley and Michael Whalley could return to boost the top order.

"I would like to think we are favourites but I have thought many things this season and they haven't necessarily come true."

TOMORROW'S FIXTURES: Barnoldswick v Great Harwood, Cherry Tree v Oswaldtwistle, Edenfield v Earby, Padiham v Blackburn Northern, Read v Whalley, Ribblesdale Wanderers v Baxenden, Settle v Clitheroe