Serious Cricket Home Counties Premier League

BANBURY’S White Post Road ground could face a second successive washout tomorrow.

Jimmy Phillips’s side are due to host Bishops Stortford, but the prospects for play look limited.

“The groundsman is not particularly optimistic,” said Phillips.

“I guess it will depend on how much more rain we get.

“Put it this way, we are not planning any barbecues.”

Phillips was at a wedding in Cairo last week as his teammates saw their game against Tring Park rained off.

“I think I had better weather than everyone in England,” said Phillips.

“I can’t remember the whole Cherwell League and Home Counties programme being washed out before. That must be a record.

“With the amount of rain we have had, the fact that this was the first game rained off completely is amazing.”

Spinner Phillips is due to replace seamer Ashley Blanchard, who is away.

Phillips added: “We have lost a week trying to catch High Wycombe, which puts them in a stronger position.

“But our aims don’t change. We just want to win as many games as possible.”

Oxford skipper Ian Crosby was more optimistic about their home game with Burnham.

The match would see batsman Nick Hands make his debut in place of John Barrett and Francois Vainker come in for Ian Evans, who is on Horspath captain Adam Krol’s stag do.

Crosby said: “We want to give Saturday as a good a chance we can to get on.

“I am confident that if it remains dry on Friday we should be OK.

“The pitch is playable and the outfield is fine. Is it just whether the rest of the square is in good enough condition.”

Having seen last week’s basement battle with Bishops Stortford rained off, Oxford are keen to get a crack at Burnham, who are also relegation rivals.

TOMORROW'S TEAMS

Banbury (v Bishops Stortford, home): from L Sabin, Tew, Wirth, Desai, Haupt, Hawkes, West, Cater, Ryan, Wright, J Phillips (capt), J Megson.

Oxford (v Burnham, home): King, Sandbach, Laudat, Canning, Perkin, Crosby (capt), Hands, Vainker, Mendis, Sutherland, Geeson-Brown.