CRICKET manager David White admits confidence is sky-high at Horwich after a superb unbeaten start to the summer, but he insists they are refusing to get carried away.

The Ramsbottom Road side continued their excellent form on Saturday with a six-wicket Premiership victory over Adlington, making it three league wins from three.

Added to that has been cup success.

They are going strong in both the National and Lancashire Knockout competitions and racked up 222 in their Bolton League T20 opener on Friday, also against Adlington.

Yesterday, they were hoping to reach the Peter Stafford Trophy semi-finals at the expense of Walkden.

“We’re going into every game to win it, obviously,” said White.

“But we’re not frightened to chase or set a total. We have confidence in every aspect of our game.

“We’re a young side who are really tight, and the lads are loving every minute of it.

“We’ve chased down 160 in 25 overs comfortably against Adlington.

“We will just keep going and see where it takes us.

“We spoke about it in the dressing room on Saturday. We’re not going to get too high when we win or too low when we lose.

“There’s so much cricket – we have three games a week for the next five or six weeks – and we don’t want our mood to affect that next performance.

“The lads are the right age. They’re a mixture of 17 to Danny Naylor being the second oldest at 26. They’re really enjoying each other’s company.

“We have a good club environment going on where everybody is pitching in.

“We have everything covered as a club, a good junior section, experience in the second team, myself and Brett (captain and professional, Pelser) running the first team and good people working on the ground.

“We’ve made improvements off the field, and it’s just a good place to be.”

Adlington, who won the toss, posted 173-8, with Ian Critchley top-scoring with 37. Jack Berry and Lewis Haydock claimed two wickets apiece.

Rain revised Horwich’s target to 168 from 46 overs and then 160 from 41, and new signing Dean Bell, the former Fleetwood captain, led the way with 71 not out from 77 balls at the top of the order.

Australian overseas amateur Lachie Fitzpatrick showed a glimpse of his recent form with an unbeaten 25.

Bell’s signing came about after the Lancashire League vetoed a move to Burnley because he does not live close enough to the Turf Moor club.

While Pelser has missed three games, including yesterday’s clash with Walkden, following the birth of his child, Horwich have been boosted by the recruit of seamer Dan Higham from Farnworth.

Another seamer, Liam Bones, is also pencilled in to return on June 8, having donated a kidney in February.

Horwich’s supreme confidence was arguably best demonstrated a fortnight ago when they beat Chorley in the second round of the National Club Championship on fewer wickets lost, defending 199.

Chorley slipped from a position of strength and failed to get 14 off the last two overs.

“We were never out of it,” added White. “It’s St Annes away next, which will be a great day out.”