CRICKET returns to the sporting scene tomorrow with the first matches in the Jennings Ribblesdale League, the most interesting game in the Premier Section being the visit of Earby to Settle.

Settle have been very active in the close season and have some selection decisions to make in identifying their optimum line-up. Stuart Hornby again leads the Marshfield challenge, with Paul Ridgway again teaming up with him to produce one of the strongest bowling partnerships in the league.

Despite their bowling strength, however, Settle did not get the runs they needed last season to mount a sustained challenge and it is in this area that the team will be under closest scrutiny this season.

The opening game could produce an acid test for Settle, with Earby's new professional Steve Crook making his debut. The South Australian from Adelaide has recently been on tour to South Africa with Lancashire and has returned with plenty of praise flowing in his direction.

Earby will quietly be hoping that the kind words do not lead to their key man being called up for senior action by Lancashire, but that is unlikely to happen in the short term and a Marshfield test awaits the paceman.

Crook drew attention to himself by firing in 93mph delivery in a televised match for the Red Rose men last summer and it will be interesting to see what kind of speed he can generate at Marshfield tomorrow.

He did not bowl in a practice match at Colne last weekend to nurse a slight strain, but still managed 35 runs with the bat to confirm that he is in good shape.

The retirement of experienced campaigners Ian Clarkson and Trevor Kegg robs The Applegarth men of two influential figures and puts the onus on rather younger shoulders, although in appointing Steven Hipgrave as vice-captain, officials have ensured that new skipper Chris Walton has a fully-seasoned first lieutenant.

Barnoldswick, meanwhile, are handicapped from the off, having been obliged to find somewhere to play other than Victory Park until their re-seeding work finally comes to fruition.

Attempts to create a new wicket came to nought during the close season as new grass seed failed to germinate as expected and as a result, the club has been forced to adopt a nomadic lifestyle until Mother Nature eventually comes to their rescue.

They were scheduled to open the season tomorrow with a home game against Blackburn Northern, but that game has been postponed. Barnoldswick were hoping to play on Sunday at Great Harwood, but their opponents were not happy with those arrangements.

"With it being Easter Sunday, we have four or five players who could not change from the scheduled date and we felt in the circumstances that a delay was reasonable," said Blackburn captain, Mel Gillibrand.

"We're not being difficult about it and we don't want the points, but changing the game to Easter Sunday at fairly short notice is not really practicable."

The matter has been sorted out amicably with Barnoldswick fully accepting that an Easter Sunday turnout for their opponents was not ideal.

On the broader front, it seems that champions Read will again be the side to beat. The return of former Test player Peter Sleep after a three year stint as an amateur at Rishton puts Read into the favourite's role.

In the 2000 season he finished with 1,411 runs and 87 wickets. More of the same will make the champions very hard to dislodge.

Tomorrow's Senior Division programme is: Cherry Tree v Great Harwood, Edenfield v Whalley, Oswaldtwistle Imm v Read, Padiham v Clitheroe, Ribblesdale Wand v Baxenden, Settle v Earby.