NEW Radcliffe captain Michael Farley believes the club is more than capable of winning promotion if they can improve their batting.

The 24-year-old opener was promoted into the top job this week after previous skipper Martyn Coates decided to step down.

Coates’ decision, made due to work commitments, followed Saturday’s 40-run defeat at Bolton Deane and Derby.

It was Radcliffe’s second successive defeat after starting the Greater Manchester League Division Three campaign with two straight wins.

“This club should be targeting promotion and I have ambitions of winning the title, but to do that we will have to bat deeper down the order,” said Farley, who started at Radcliffe aged 12 and returned last season after a short stint at Elton.

“We haven’t had our fair share of luck this season – I crashed the ball on to my pads on Saturday but was given lbw and there were a couple of other decisions that did not go our way.

“But we have tended to make bad decisions ourselves, which has led to us losing wickets in flurries.

“We need to work harder to create partnerships. If we can get that right I think this team can go far.”

Five bowlers took two wickets on Saturday, with star man Jimmy Dixon finishing with the best figures of 2-44 from 14 overs.

League leaders Deane and Derby were all out for 186 and Farley led the reply with 49, but only three team-mates were able to join him on double figures.

ELPM, meanwhile, lost their first match of the season in Division Four West, going down by 70 runs at Elton second XI.