ULVERSTON CC are on the lookout for players to bolster their struggling second team ranks.

Dedicated club chairman Alan Regan has appealed for fresh blood, with the Priory Road club finding it difficult to get 11 players on the field week-in, week-out.

Ulverston possess one of the strongest junior set-ups in the area, but Regan says encouraging their pool of talented youngsters to step up to weekend senior cricket is proving troublesome.

A combination of other leisure pursuits, changing working patterns and competition with other sports – such as summer rugby and football – has had an adverse effect on numbers.

Once-proud Askam-based Duddon SC folded in 2012, while more recently Hawcoat Park have had to drop their second string and other North Lancs and Cumbria League clubs are battling to put out two competitive sides on a weekly basis.

“Every club is short of players, but I think we are just a bit shorter than most of the others,” explained Regan, a former Ulverston player.

“There were rumours that we were going to be packing up, and all sorts of doom and gloom. That is definitely not true but we are having a shortage of players. We have managed to recruit one additional player recently, but we could do with some more.

“We are managing to get 11 players on the field and we are determined to carry on, but we could do with a few more players.

“We have an extremely good junior set-up. We even have two teams in the under-14s league but it is proving difficult trying to get youngsters to play Saturday cricket.

“One of the problems these day is that football is played throughout the summer, and then there is summer rugby, and other sports like cycling and golf are really popular. It is a real problem trying to get lads to play on Saturdays.”

Ulverston A will look for a morale-boosting victory at home to Egremont in their Division Three match tomorrow, while the Priory Road first XI face a tough assignment at Poolside against a Haverigg side hoping for a big weekend in league and cup.

On Sunday, Haverigg will bid to set up a mouth-watering Sowerby Cup final against neighbours Millom when they take on Workington A in the semis at Poolside.

If West Indian professional Dalton Polius continues his fine form at the crease – he hit 95 against Seascale last week – then the Villagers should progress.

One team still celebrating a cup semi-final success are Haverigg and Millom’s Division One rivals Lindal Moor, whose victory over Keswick sees them up against holders Workington in next month’s final.

Lindal will hope to lift the coveted trophy for the first time since 2002, and chairman Paul Clarke said: “Everyone at Lindal is feeling very proud of Paul Wilcock and his team right now.

“This was a fantastic team effort and builds on all the good things going on at the club at the moment with the senior sides, juniors and women and girls.

“Colin Knight has the team really well-drilled, and their fielding was top class, holding some big catches under pressure.

“We appreciate we’ll very much be underdogs but having beaten two Premier Division sides to get to the final we’ll do what little old Lindal has always done and give it a real go.”

After being dismissed for 62 against Cocklermouth, Dalton face another of the Premier Division’s top dogs tomorrow in the shape of unbeaten leaders Workington.

Although the odds are stacked against them, if Dalton bring their A-game and the visitors have an off day, there is no reason why they cannot be the first side to beat the West Cumbrians this season.

Furness will certainly hope Dalton can pull off a shock win as they try and hang on to the coat-tails of Workington at the top. Scott Pearcey’s men will also have to be fully focused as they head to Cockermouth.

Toby Mowat’s Barrow side are looking to bounce back and keep themselves in the Northern League title picture when they head to Fleetwood for a third-versus-fourth Division One match.

Mowat’s side lost ground on the leaders last weekend when they succumbed to Blackpool in a rain-affected match at Ernest Pass.