Early days yet for Barton at top of B Division table + Witcher on way back to Tavistock +

Robbie Prior - returns to Seaton

BARTON, who are making the early running with Shobrooke Park in the A Division, make the long trip to Tavistock tomorrow.

The four times Premier champions – four times between 1983 and 1989 – have a long way to go to retain their status as a permanent fixture in the top flight.

Skipper Adam Parker is one of the players to stay loyal to the club since they slipped out of the Premier Division in 2007.

Parker knows Barton have started well, but it is where you are on the first Saturday in September that matters.

“I m looking for us to continue our good start to the season,” said Parker.

“Winning at Plymstock was a great team effort last week with everyone chipping in.

“We need to be at our best every week and keep putting in the performances.”

“Batter Will Grainger and bowler Tom Porter are unavailable so Shaun Needham and Mark Gilmour come back in.

For Tavistock, third from bottom, Ian Gray and Sean Cleave are back from holidays. 

Matt Witcher has re-signed from Lewdow and will keep wicket in the absence of Dave Manning for a few weeks. 

“Barton are always a good side and we will have to be a lot better than recent form to get something from the game,:” said realistic skipper Shaun Daymond.

Filleigh skipper Simon Priedeaux is relishing his side’s unprecedented start to the season.

Filleigh are third in the table going into tomorrow’s meeting with Thorverton.

“To win three games in May is unheard of as we normally get off to a sluggish start and claw it back in the second half of the season,” said Prideaux.

Filleigh destroyed Ipplepen after bowling them out for 108 last Saturday.

Said the skipper: “Last week was a great, all-round performance. All the bowlers looked threatening and made my job easy. 

“We fielded well, with the exception of Jack Brazier who has been working hard on his catching and ground fielding this week,

“Our batting spearheaded by Justin Saker, who has adopted a more attacking style this season, looked solid. “

Batter Mark Prideaux is back from a holiday in the Algarve and James Campbell returns from watching the chiefs. James Marsh (goin) is rested.

Thorverton's final-ball victory over Seaton last Saturday was their second of the season.

“Obviously we'd like to push on from last week, but we know Filleigh have had a good start so it will be a tough game,” said skipper Andy Pitt.

Chilcott, Crouch, Gray and Greed are all away for various reasons but Choules, Denford and Stirling are back. 

“Although we are a bit light in the batting department, we have plenty of bowling options,” said Pitt.

Plymstock captain Charles Martin doesn’t want a hiccough to become a slump.

It’s Babbacombe at home tomorrow for Plymstock, who have lost the last two games.

Martin wasn’t around last Saturday, preferring the count attraction of a day at Twickenham watching Exeter Chiefs, when Barton won at Dean Cross.

“I'm back after a week off and looking to get back to our winning ways of the first two weeks,” said Martin.

Off-spinning all-rounder James Nicholls is still out injured. Billy Gibson comes up from the 2nd XI after a good start to the season in place of Tom Mitch.

Babbacombe have yet to win a game since winning promotion and skipper Stuart Broad is the first to admit it is a struggle at times.

“A few of us are at the wrong end of our careers now and what we could do 10 years ago when we were last at this level isn’t that easy now,” said Broad.

The absence due to a knee injury of former Torquay captain Mike Pugh has been a further handicap, as has the sketchy availability of all-rounder Damon Calland, who has been finding it easier to play home games rather than 1st XI games.

After a patchy start to the season since winning promotion, Cullompton skipper James Blackmore is ‘looking forward’ to the derby date with Shobrooke Park.

“After wins over Budleigh (T20 Cup) and Tavistock, some belief is starting to ebb back into players ands we should have full availability this weekend,” said Blackmore.

Seaton, away to Ipplepen, welcome back bowling all-rounder Robbie Prior and give a 1stXI opportunity to Georg Harwood.

Tim Mitchell is back at university and Kersley Sutton is away.

|We need our bowlers to perform,” said skipper Ben Morgan after his side failed to defend 238 against Thorverton.