CAPTAIN Will Sparrow hopes his rich pickings can help Ludlow to cash in at Newtown on Saturday (1pm) with leaders Whitchurch on the horizon.

Sparrow, top-four batsman Jack Griffiths, seamer Louis Watkins and wicketkeeper Gareth Parker all return for the road trip which precedes the visit of the pacesetters the weekend after.

Their availability gives the skipper a full arsenal to choose from for the first time in 2017 and while that has led to plenty of pondering, it is a decision he is happy to wrestle with.

“There are a few selection issues for me going into this one,” said Sparrow. “We have 15 or 16 lads all available with the ability to play for the first team.

“This is the first proper headache we’ve had this summer but it is a welcome one.

“We will have to be on our game, that’s for sure. Newtown have started relatively well and sit only a few points behind us.

“Along with Worfield, we are chasing Whitchurch but one the whole, they have picked up some good results and are no mugs.

“Their place is always a challenge to play at as well. I am happy to be going there with a full-strength side but whoever we pick, we know it will be a very tough ask.

“We have Whitchurch in our next match so if we can win on Saturday, we have the opportunity to make up ground. That is a 40-point game in a sense.

“There is every chance the gap will be a lot smaller after that match but we have to make sure we maximise our opportunities this week first.”

Ludlow’s absences did not matter too much as Saturday’s match at St Georges was abandoned halfway through.

Having won the toss and opted to bat, the hosts were initially limited to 39 for two by Ruel Brathwaite (2-64) but Chris Miller (74) and Marshall Bunting (116) settled in for a third-wicket partnership of 121 with a further 109 added between Bunting and Sam Morgan (37).

St Georges ended their 50 overs on 289 for five before rain stopped play.

“Having gained feedback from the boys, we felt we could have got a result even though we didn’t bowl particularly well,” added Sparrow.

“Louis and I were missing which maybe would have made a difference in terms of restricting them but we did have a strong batting line-up on a good deck so the boys were still in the game when it rained off.

“In hindsight, though, with four players missing it was not a disaster and it would have been far more frustrating had we travelled there with a full side.

“No one else got a game in, some teams picked up a few more bonus points than we did but the big frustration comes when your rivals pick up 20 while you get stopped from playing. Thankfully, that did not happen.”