Slack fielding costing Sidley

That’s the view of captain John Haffenden after Sidley picked up their first draw of the Sussex Cricket League Division Two season away to Goring By Sea last weekend.

Haffenden said: “I must admit I’m appalled at the fielding at the moment. We’re just not at the races in the field and we’ve got to start stepping up.

“We dropped another seven catches on Saturday, we’ve probably dropped 24 in three weeks and we’re getting made to pay for it. I’ve said before we’ve got to learn fast and we’re just not learning quickly enough at the moment.”

The jet-heeled Richard Harrison is set to make his first appearance of 2012 at home to Haywards Heath tomorrow (Saturday) which will no doubt help, while Chris Deeprose and Neil Priddy are also due to come back in.

“I would like to think we’re going to do well,” continued Haffenden. “But we need to up the fielding stakes so much. We knew it wasn’t going to be easy in this league and we need to up the intensity in the field throughout.”

The only side in the division still to record a win, Sidley are 15 points adrift at the foot of the table. Victory tomorrow, though, would put them very much in touch with the sides above them with two-thirds of the season to go.

“We’re improving every week and you can’t fault anyone’s effort,” Haffenden went on. “We’re scoring runs and starting to take wickets; there’s just one thing we need to tighten up on.”

Haywards Heath are in fifth place having won one, lost two and had two matches abandoned so far. Play will get under way from 1pm at Gullivers.