Wisbech Town chairman says Tucker Gardner champions will bounce back from latest defeat
Gary Freear bats for Wisbech Town against Godmanchester Town. Picture: Steve Williams. - Credit: Archant
Wisbech Town chairman Bob Burgess is disappointed but not concerned about the cricket team’s start to the season after defeat to Godmanchester Town left them sixth in the Tucker Gardner Premier League.
Last year, Wisbech were the champions but were unable to celebrate that feat because the very next day they played their play-off semi final and lost.
Two wins, two defeats and one draw is not the start to the new campaign that many were expecting – but Burgess says injuries and missing players have not helped in their bid to retain their title.
He said: “We have had a mixed start to the season. The losses can be a negative, as the team obviously didn’t play well enough to win, and a positive, as the losses have been narrow.
“Injuries to key players – Craig Johnson broke an arm at work two days before the start of the season and our overseas player Andy Lane chipped a bone in his ankle during training – have not helped matters. Couple this with having four or five guys not being available until the end of May due to being in the middle of their university finals has created some selection difficulties for now.
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“Despite these challenges, the team is less than 30 points adrift from the leaders and the return of those players in the near future gives us reason to be confident going forward.
“We have no paid players and promote home grown players as much as possible so the absences have created opportunities for some of the youngsters to show their mettle at the higher level.”
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Godmanchester went to the top of the table with the two-wicket win after the Wisbech captain, Alan Burton, hit 77 in their innings of 191 for nine.
Gary Freear took four wickets for 60 but the visitors reached 195 for eight with 10 balls remaining.
“As all clubs do at the start of the season, we have great optimism,” said Burgess. “We know that last year was exceptional and that this season would see the other clubs make signings to strengthen their squads.
“The league is rarely retained,” he added. But don’t write Wisbech off yet.
