Home sweet home for Nationwide? (From Swindon Advertiser)

Home sweet home for Nationwide?

5:50am Friday 1st June 2012 in Sport By Andy Warren

Nationwide House captain Joe Perkins has urged his side to make their home advantage count when they take on Marlborough tomorrow.

Perkins and his side need to bounce back following a big defeat at the hands of Marshfield in their last game, but the skipper is confident his side can get back to winning ways as soon as possible.

The Wiltshire Division match was due to be played in Marlborough but was switched this week, and Perkins wants to make use of their good fortune.

“Some good bits and some bad bits sums up our performance against league leaders Marshfield last Saturday which can be put right with a collective team performance this week against a Marlborough team coming off a good win,” he said.

“We have to be positive and use the home advantage after the fixtures were reversed in the week,to our benefit, as we know on our day how good we can be.”

Luke Bradley-Leach and Mark Sheppard are back from holiday in the Nationwide middle order, and Perkins is glad to have two key players back.

“The batting line up sees the return of Luke and Mark from holiday which really strengthens our middle order and gives the openers the opportunity to get us off to a solid start knowing we have a healthy backbone to the team,” he said.

“The bowling attack sees Russell Arkley promoted for the first time this season, as a replacement to Nathan Sheffield who is on holiday, who hopefully will take this opportunity in challenging for a regular place with his spin option.”

The club’s 2nd XI play away to the same opponents, and captain Jason Griffith wants to build on their win over Marshfield.

“We need to continue the good work that everybody put in last week and it shows that if we all play to our potential what a good team we can be,” he said.

Elsewhere in the Wiltshire Division, Wootton Bassett travel to Burbage and Easton Royal looking to recover from their heavy defeat to Great Bedwyn in their last game.

• SWINDON captain Paul Paginton has had a very welcome selection headache this week ahead of tomorrow’s Glos/Wilts Division clash with Trowbridge.

The skipper is impressed with his first choice side following the club’s 58-run win over Rockhampton last weekend, but is also pleased with the players he has in reserve.

“We have a full squad available at the moment, and the good thing is that we have a lot of competition for places,” he said.

“We have good players, both batsmen and bowlers, and that is a good thing to have because it pushes players on.

“A lot of clubs will have 11 or 12 really top quality players, whereas we have 14 or 15 which means we have good options whenever players are missing.

“The team we will put out this weekend all deserve to be there, but it is good to know we have other capable players.”

Paginton believes his side will need to keep a watchful eye on Adeel Malik who can be destructive with the bat and with the ball, but is convinced he has a match winner of his own in Will Nichols.

The all-rounder scored a quick 57 and took five wickets in Swindon’s victory over Rockhampton last weekend, and his captain fully expects him to do it again.

“Will played very well last weekend, and he is probably our best bowler at the moment because he is in very good form. Malik is a dangerous player and we will have to watch out for him, but we can’t pay him too much attention and we will just play him when he comes to the crease.”

Goatacre travel to Weston-super-Mare in Premier Two looking to get back to winning ways after losing their first game of the season at the hands of Warminster.