POSTING a decent total to defend is all Radcliffe Cricket Club needs to kick-start their debut season in the Greater Manchester League, according to new captain Martyn Coates.

The Racecourse Ground men are bottom of the fledgling Division Two table after suffering three defeats from their opening three games.

Their best total came in the opening fixture at home to Droylsden, when the visitors overhauled their target of 175 with three overs to spare.

Since then they have been bowled out for 146 in pursuit of 316 at unbeaten Thornham and were all out for 109 in an eight-wicket defeat at home to Stretford last Saturday.

Opener Coates led the way with 32 against Stretford but only three other batsmen managed to join him in double figures, including last man Noah Duffy, who was bowled for 13.

“We have struggled to put out a full team so far this season, with a number of senior players missing at the start of the campaign due to commitments playing other sports, such as rugby and football,” said the 26-year-old skipper.

“Connor Gately, one of our main bowlers, is due to return this weekend, as well as all-rounder Dan Farley.

“Those two players will strengthen our attack, but to be fair to the bowlers who have played for us so far, they have not really had a decent total to defend.

“Our batting has been the big problem, and we need to improve on that front.

“But with the bowlers we have coming back, I feel all we need to kickstart our season is to put a big score on the board.

“Once we do that, I believe that will settle us down and we will go on to get our first win, then we should be up and running.”

Radcliffe travel to strugglers Brooksbottom in the league on Saturday, before playing Prestwich in the first XI cup on Sunday.

Coates is eager to get his first win as captain on the board at Brooksbottom before taking on the daunting prospect of a Prestwich side that are riding high at the top of the Premier Division.

But despite enduring a difficult start to his time as skipper, the man who has played for Radcliffe since joining as a nine-year-old, says he is enjoying the challenge.

“It is a real honour to be captain of a club where I have played all my career,” he said. “This is a fantastic opportunity for me to really build something from here as we are starting from scratch in a new league.

“It is a strange one as I have never played any of the sides in our division as a senior, so we are all on a real learning curve.

“But while it is hard to gauge the standard of cricket from three games, I feel we have enough quality to be competitive and should have done better in the games we have played so far.

“So if we can just settle ourselves down with a win, I am confident we can kick on from there.”