Captain leads by example (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Captain leads by example

10:27am Friday 18th May 2007 in Football By Nick Mashiter

DESPITE a shocking start, Corsham recovered to leave Michael Coles revelling in the captain's role as his team crushed Thornbury on Saturday.

Openers Pete Dennett and Tom Abbott had been dismissed, leaving Corsham at 10-2, but a partnership of 214 between Tom Hankins (159) and Coles (84) hauled their side out of trouble.

"We knew if we hung around long enough we would score quick enough,"said Wiltshire ace Coles.

"It is nice batting with someone like Tom, because he looks to get on with it and it takes the pressure off me."

Coles has now won his first two games as captain and is taking great pleasure in his side's early season form.

"I don't know what the problem with Shards (last season's captain Neil Shardlow) was last year, I've told him it's an easy job," he said. "I'm really enjoying it and have had great support from everyone and, of course, winning helps."

Despite their impressive scores, Coles and Hankins' contributions were the only meaningful ones as the lower order fell apart and Corsham lost their last six wickets for just 15 runs.

"As soon as we had gone we capitulated and it is something we will be looking to work on because we should have got over 300," he said.

Perfectionist Coles was also demanding more in the field after they failed to capitalise on a blistering bowling start. Daniel Chard (3-26) and Adam Kelly (2-24) took apart the Thornbury openers as they limped to 22-5.

"I was disappointed not to bowl them out because they were never really in the game or up with the run rate after the early overs," he said.

The win keeps Corsham's good start to the season going, ahead of Western-super-Mare's visit on Saturday, where Wiltshire's Alex Senneck will return.

"We said before the game there was no point bolwing Frocester out for 84 the week before and then playing poorly," he said. "Western are an unknown quality but hopefully we can go out and do what we have done in our last two games."

Corsham are still waiting on their, as yet unnamed, overseas player's paperwork to be complete, but Corsham Town goalkeeper Craig Chaplin will start to play next week after the club's triumphant title win.

Coles said: "Players coming in adds to the strength of the side and keeps everyone on their toes.

"We know we will have a strong squad this year."