AFTER two seasons stuck in the bottom three of the Jennings Ribblesdale League, Edenfield are on their way back and went into this weekend's double-header just two points off the top of the table.

The Gincroft Lane club welcomed back former players Andy Williams and Mark Burns over the winter, as well as appointing Cumberland's minor counties skipper Martin Lewis as their new professional.

Subsequently they have lost just once in the league -- a disappointing effort against Barnoldswick last weekend -- but skipper Chris Hanson traces the resurgence back to the end of last season.

He said: "We couldn't have asked for a better start and hopefully we can carry it on. I don't think there's really a secret. We've just carried on where we left off at the end of last season with a couple of new faces.

"They have given us a bit more stability and we've also changed the professional, although that was nothing to do with Stephen Kirby's performances last season.

"He wanted to have a do at the county level again and we felt if he was concentrating on that, let him do that.

"We signed Martin Lewis and he's taken something like 25 wickets so far. He's a great lad and obviously he's doing well with the ball. He's got one fifty so far and I just think he needs the wickets to dry up a little more for him."

Hanson took over the captain's job mid-way through last season after John Kershaw decided to call it a day.

By mid-July Edenfield had won just three times, and although they couldn't make it out of the bottom three, they did chalk up a further five victories before the end of the summer.

However, Hanson doesn't credit himself for the improvement. He said: "I always said about last season that if you ever take the captaincy on it's always easier to take it on when you're near the bottom and nobody expects anything of you.

"And I don't think the run-in we had was anything to do with me. It was more the lads looking to themselves. John Kershaw finished which took 700-800 runs out of the batting and they thought to themselves 'if we don't pull our finger out we'll finish rock-bottom'.

"I was fortunate enough to be captain when that happened. The way we finished, you think 'what can we do with a full season' and hopefully we can do a bit better.

"The ideal situation would be that we would like to win the league. That would be nice because we're out of the cup, but realistically, and not trying to get too far ahead, if we could finish in the top four or five that would be an achievement."

Edenfield look good so far but this weekend's games against Cherry Tree, who are level on points with Hanson's men in second spot, and improving local rivals Baxenden will provide an acid test of their credentials.

"We've had a good start and hopefully we can put Saturday behind us and get two good results this weekend, although we've got two difficult games against Cherry Tree and Baxenden," Hanson added.

"Cherry Tree are always a good side and Baxenden are pushing again, which makes the league a lot better.

"Last season the it was a bit like the Premiership. The top four were in a different class and the rest of us were dangling behind by their coat tails."

Tomorrow's fixtures: Barnoldswick v Earby, Cherry Tree v Blackburn, Clitheroe v Ribblesdale Wanderers, Edenfield v Baxenden, Oswaldtwistle I v Great Harwood, Padiham v Read