READ are aiming to go one better in this season’s Ramsbottom Cup as they prepare for tomorrow’s trip to Baxenden.

The Whalley Road men were beaten finalists in last season’s competition as Whalley claimed the honours in a showpiece that had to be completed on the reserve date due to the weather.

Read began their 2018 campaign with a comfortable success over Earby in their Group Two opener and there is extra motivation to reach the final this season with the game to be staged at their own ground.

A win at Baxenden tomorrow would go a long way to ensuring a place in the last eight and Read skipper Andrew Rushton wants his side to try and go as far as they can in a competition they won in 2003.

“It would be a massive boost if we were to get to the final,” he said.

“It is at our ground and that would be great for the club if we could be there.

“If we win at Baxenden then that will be two from two and it will put us in a strong position to win the group which is what we want to do.”

The other two sides in Group Two, Fensicowles and Barnoldswick, meet at the War Memorial Ground tomorrow.

The top two from each of the three five-team groups will reach the quarter-finals along with the best two third-placed teams.

Read are currently the only side with a win to their name after the weather washed out all the other opening day fixtures.

Openers William Wrathall (104 not out) and Kyle O’Connor (51) starred for Read in the win as they helped the home side pile up 220-3 from their 40 overs.

In reply, Earby were never really in the chase as Jamie Woodall took 4-30 and the visitors were dismissed for 144.

And Rushton was pleased with his side’s display as they bounced back from their opening day league loss to Section B side Ribblesdale Wanderers.

“We got off to a slow start,” said Rushton of last weekend’s victory. “But we had a strong partnership at the top of the order and Will was able to get going in the second part of his innings.

“We batted well and we knew if we got a good total we could get the win.

“It was a good result and we felt that Earby had two or three players who were dangerous and if we could get them out cheaply then we would win the game.

“Fortunately we managed to do that and it was a good result.”

And Rushton was pleased his side turned their form around after they suffered a surprise six-wicket defeat to Wanderers in the league opener last month.

“We let ourselves down a little bit against Ribblesdale Wanderers,” the skipper added.

“Hopefully we can put that behind us and bounce back with two games this weekend.”

The Ramsbottom Cup clash with Baxenden is followed by a league trip to Salesbury where Read will be aiming to secure their first Section A win of the year.

But Rushton is wary of the threat posed by Section B sides as Salesbury aim to repeat the surprise that Wanderers managed on day one.

“I think last year we lost our first three games when we were playing supposedly weaker sides so we know it is not easy, “ he added.

“But after that we barely lost another game so hopefully we can get a win on Sunday and go from there.”

Read’s team for the cup tie shows two changes from last weekend’s match with Craig Noone and Conor Lowes replacing Shaun Heaton and Newby.

Noone returns for Sunday’s league match with Zach Conroy, Graham and Ben Woodall also in the side with Lowes, O’Connor, Jack Jones and Jamie Woodall absent.

Elsewhere in the cup tomorrow, defending champions Whalley are on the road in Group Three as they travel to Padiham in an all Section A tie.

The other game in that group sees Oswaldtwistle Immanuel entertain junior league side Stacksteads. Ribblesdale Wanderers are without a game.

Defending league champions Settle are away at Euxton in Group One with Brinscall entertaining Salesbury in the other fixture in that section.

Cherry Tree are without a cup match this weekend.

The cup action continues on Saturday, May 19, with each side playing each other once in the group stage before the knockout action begins next month.

This year’s final takes place on Sunday, August 5.