OSWALDTWISTLE Immanuel collected the wooden spoon in the Jennings Ribblesdale League last season and have won only once so far this time around.

It could therefore be another testing summer at New Lane where the departures of Andrew Hornsby and former captain Roger Watson have further depleted the club's playing strength.

But captain Gerard Metcalfe believes the foundations are in place for an upturn in fortunes with the club boasting a thriving youth section and a professional in Will Carr who Metcalfe believes could help provide the catalyst for a brighter future.

He said: "We've got some good youngsters in the second team. They've been Lancashire champions at under-11 and under-13 but they're just a little bit away from the first-team yet.

"We've blooded one or two but they've just been playing the odd game for a little bit of experience rather than being able to come in and contribute.

"We lack numbers of senior players and consequently there's a lot of unavailability and it's difficult getting a settled side in the field.

"A lack of competition for places means players know if they miss games they are likely to walk back in the week after.

"But on the bright side we are happy with the professional we have signed. We are pleased with his contribution in practice, off the field and in the dressing room and in the long-term he will help develop the young players we have.

"The results of his good work might be seen a bit further down the line. It's an uphill battle to put things right in the short-term because we lack senior league players but that's no reflection on him."

Metcalfe added: "We are probably suffering from a lack of the professional's off-the-field contribution over the last couple of years. Hopefully in years to come the application of the current professional should rub off on the younger players and they will perform at first-team level in the next few years.

"My main task is to make sure these lads of 14 to 16 become good cricketers when they are 19 and 20. That's really the focus of the club. When I took on the captaincy I told the committee I was looking long-term and hoping for long-term stability and steady improvement, rather than a short-term quick-fix."

However, Metcalfe is still looking for an upturn in results at first-team level which he believes will come when the side starts playing to its potential in harness with Carr, a 24-year-old seam bowler who plays grade cricket in Victoria and for his state second team.

He said: "One or two of our better amateur players haven't performed as they could have been and I suppose I'm one of the biggest culprits. By my standards I've had a poor start.

"I knew it was a hard job when I took it on and that it wouldn't be easy to turn it round that quickly. We didn't finish bottom last year because we were unlucky. We finished bottom because we were the worst side.

"But I think we will win a few games this season. I'm quite confident that in the right conditions Will will bowl sides out. The main problem, as it has been up to now, is the batting. We're just not scoring enough runs.

"No amateur has passed 30 with the bat which isn't going to win you many games. But we have players who are capable of doing that.

"One of the short-term objectives is to get a settled side and a settled batting order."

Oswaldtwistle face a potentially difficult weekend with a trip to Padiham tomorrow followed by a home game against a Great Harwood side that rattled up 340 in their recent cup encounter.

However, Metcalfe remains optimistic. He said: "Padiham have had a slightly indifferent start themselves and I'm quite optimistic going there.

"It's a ground where, traditonally, we've done well. We won there last year and a couple of years ago we tied with 252 apiece.

"Great Harwood are a very good, young amateur side with a quality professional. But I think we can be more competitve than the cup game when we had to use five bowlers.

"Hopefully we can get a bit closer to them when we can bowl the professional for longer without any restrictions."

Tomorrow's fixtures: Baxenden v Great Harwood, Edenfield v Cherry Tree, Padiham v Oswaldtwistle Immanuel, Read v Clitheroe, Ribblesdale Wanderers v Barnoldswick, Whalley v Blackburn Northern.