CRICKET: Cumnor call for county support

5:05pm Thursday 26th June 2008

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Cumnor hope to make Sunday's npower Village Cup first national round clash with Cranborne a big event on and off the field.

Oxfordshire champions Cumnor host Dorset & Wilts winners Cranborne confident they can progress further.

But they want to do so with as much local support as they can muster.

"There will be an all-day barbecue and one of our members has paid for a special programme to be printed," said captain Carl Thompson.

"Cranborne are really looking forward to it as well.

"It would be be great to see as many people there as possible.

"Oxford Downs have said they will come and some from Horspath should be there as well."

Cumnor make one change to the side that defeated Horspath in a memorable Oxfordshire final.

Shahbaz Alam is ruled out following a motorbike accident, with Steve Slade or Martin Hunter set to come in.

As for their prospects, Thompson said: "The Oxfordshire final was big.

"This one will be different because we don't really know anything about the opposition.

"They are a very small village, but we are taking the game seriously.

"They may be a lower league side than us, but one player can take a game away from you."

"It would be a big anti-climax to fall at the first national hurdle after winning the Oxfordshire group.

"Every game we've played, we've chased a total and that's proved successful.

"Our pitch is well-known as one of the best batting pitches around.

"If the weather is good, then we may consider batting first."

If victorious, Cumnor will host either Marshfield or Stapleton in the last 16.

Looking ahead, a potential quarter-final would see Cumnor travel to Wales or Cornwall.

Cumnor: from Scott, Nielson, Gaunt, Morteza, Douglas, Kirsten, Umair Ghazali, Thompson (capt), Slade, Ayaz Khan, Mitty, Hunter.