CAPTAIN Chris Ringham has urged his team-mates to hold their nerve after title-chasing March suffered a shock derby defeat to Wisbech on Saturday.

March appeared to be coasting to the Tucker Gardner Premier Division crown after winning 11 games out of 12.

But last weekend’s 10-run defeat at Nassington and a six-wicket drubbing in the Fenland derby has seen their 28-point lead at the top of the table cut to just a point.

Ringham said: “We were always going to lose a couple of games at some point so I’m not panicking.

“Matt Wilcox’s injury has been a massive blow because he hasn’t been able to bowl for three matches. When you get an overseas player steaming in it gives everyone a massive lift and him not bowling is like ripping the heart out of our line-up.

“This is now a massive opportunity for players like Tyler Phillips and Stuart Mills to have a huge say in the title run-in. We’ve been on an unbelievable run so now we just need to keep calm and get back to basics.”

Carl Chapman top-scored with 29 as March struggled to 149 all out in wet conditions. His 3-49 and seamer Ringham’s 1-33 wasn’t enough to stop out-of-sorts Wisbech waltzing to victory.

Ringham said: “We won’t hide behind the weather conditions at the weekend - Wisbech simply outperformed us with both bat and ball and deserved their win.

“At the start of the season I’d have bitten your hand off to be leading the table with three games left. I think we’ve had our little blip and we thought we’d blown it all on Saturday but to still be top and in control is a massive boost.”

March travel to third-placed Godmanchester tomorrow.