Social life put on hold for Burnley skipper

Life as a Lancashire League cricketer doesn't afford you much of a social life at present, but that's something Burnley skipper Dan Pickup is willing to sacrifice.
By The Newsroom
Published 8th Jun 2017, 13:03 BST
Updated 8th Jun 2017, 13:06 BST
Anthony Farran 12.07.2015 Lowerhouse CC v Burnley CC, Worsley Cup semi-final played at Lowerhouse CC, Pictured; Burnley Bowler Chris Holt and Lowerhouse Batter Charlie Cottam.Anthony Farran 12.07.2015 Lowerhouse CC v Burnley CC, Worsley Cup semi-final played at Lowerhouse CC, Pictured; Burnley Bowler Chris Holt and Lowerhouse Batter Charlie Cottam.
Anthony Farran 12.07.2015 Lowerhouse CC v Burnley CC, Worsley Cup semi-final played at Lowerhouse CC, Pictured; Burnley Bowler Chris Holt and Lowerhouse Batter Charlie Cottam.

The club heads into a second successive triple-header weekend in sparkling form, having won five consecutive league games, moving them to within a victory of second place East Lancs.

An encounter at Cliffe Park against newcomers Great Harwood is the next step in the league tomorrow, sandwiched in-between tonight’s Twenty20 clash with Nelson at Seedhill and Sunday’s LCB Knockout Trophy tie away at Chorley.

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“It’s going pretty well,” said Pickup, after beating Accrington and ending Darwen’s unbeaten run. “It’s been a massive change from the first couple of games. We’ve started to click.

“The new lads have really settled in, Holty (Chris Holt) has been brilliant, so it’s all coming together nicely. We’ve been bowling and fielding really well recently and now we’re doing it with the bat.

“We just want to keep trying to win games so we can put the pressure on. We’ve played some good sides recently so the challenge now is to keep that momentum building.

“We’ll take three games at the moment. That’s how it is when you’re playing well. We’re not bothered how many games we’ve got to play, the more the merrier.”

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Talk of a potential title chase hasn’t entered conversation in the dressing room just yet but Pickup is ready to capitalise when leaders Clitheroe do slip up.

“It can change quickly at this level,” he said. “We haven’t spoken too much about it, we just want to keep this run going as long as possible and see where it takes us. It’s a long season.

“Clitheroe seem to be the team to beat at the moment. I doubt they’ll go through the whole season unbeaten, though. Darwen were unbeaten until Sunday. Nobody is unbeatable.”

Meanwhile, with safe passage in the county cup leading to a home tie in the third round against either Horwich or Vertex, Pickup added: “It’s another new ground for us at Chorley. We want to keep pushing and testing ourselves.

“It’s a new challenge, something different for us, and we’re looking forward to it. It’s a competition that we really want to do well in.”

Related topics:BurnleyChorleyClitheroe