Lancaster CC skipper looks to bounce back

The first XI’s five-match winning run in all competitions was brought to an end with back-to-back losses in league and cup.

Lancaster surrendered top spot in the Moore and Smalley Palace Shield Premier Division with defeat at bottom club Vernon Carus last Saturday.

Twenty-four hours later, they exited the Meyler Cup in going down against a Westgate team playing a division below them in the Palace Shield structure.

With Euxton now topping the league table, Lancaster are back at Lune Road on Saturday when they welcome Mawdesley.

This weekend’s visitors sit fourth, two places and three points behind Lancaster, after an impressive win at third-placed Carnforth.

“We should rise to the challenge if anything,” Steinson said of this Saturday’s match.

“Mawdesley did well to beat Carnforth, so we will have to do our best with the bat and ball.

“I think I’ve said before the batting needs to improve but we’ve seen some green shoots of late.

“It’s good to see that coming together but again, as I’ve said before, we’re just missing that complete performance.

“Saturday is a really important fixture, not just from the point of view that we’ve got to get back in form, but we’ve got to put some distance between ourselves and the others.”

While three points separate the three teams in second, third and fourth, Euxton have a 10-point advantage at the top.

That came as a result of Lancaster’s nine-wicket loss at Vernon Carus, who have had a tough start to the season.

Having been surprised by Vernons’ early struggles, Steinson saw them bowl out his team for 109 before replying with 114-1 to claim maximum points.

The Lancaster captain said: “They have got some good players. In any sport, you can’t rock up and presume the formbook is going to go your way.

“You still have to put in a performance and Vernons bowled really well on a tricky pitch.

“I think some of our batters maybe had the idea in their heads that it was a tricky surface to bat on.

“We didn’t back it up with the ball at the end of the day and were well beaten.”