Todmorden skipper Andrew Sutcliffe hopes to return to action for a crucial two days of Lancashire League action.
The Centre Vale Park side, fourth from bottom after a defeat and a win last weekend, travel to bottom club Colne on Saturday and then host a Church side who are three places above them on Sunday.
“They are two big games but hopefully we should have a full squad,” said Sutcliffe, who has been out for a month with a fractured wrist and damaged ligaments.
Todmorden head into the weekend boosted by a fine win at Bacup on Sunday when stand-in skipper Simon Newbitt (62) and pro Geeth Alwis (44) paved the way for a total of 223 for nine.
That set up a convincing 82-run win with Sri Lankan Alwis taking five wickets for the second day running.
While four of the slow bowler’s wickets had been rather handed to him in Ramsbottom’s late thrash on Saturday, Alwis impressed in the second match of the weekend.
“He bowled really well against Bacup. Now the sun is out we should see the best of him,” added Sutcliffe, who also has Matthew Brierley and Kristian Garland back from holiday for the weekend.
Todmorden lost to Ramsbottom by 54 runs, having initially done well to restrict the visitors to 228 for seven when a score of around 275 looked likely.
Tod were well in the hunt at 110 for one in reply but once Ben Sutcliffe departed for 49 and Alwais for 58, Tod folded to 174 all out.
That was no great surprise given that their middle order contained three promising but inexperienced young players in Bilal Abbas (15), Ben Pearson (14) and Freddie Priestley (17).