HUDDERSFIELD go in search of a second Joe Lumb victory of the season tomorrow at Armitage Bridge in the knowledge that another win would see them through to the final of the Under 17 Cup tournament.

Tomorrow’s opponents are the East Yorkshire League (1.00 start) who have yet to win a game this season, and Huddersfield’s team manager Stuart Fletcher is anxious to see the trend is not reversed.

One blow to Fletcher is that influential Meltham opener Will Fraine is not available, however the team boss is quietly confident the players selected have enough experience and ability to beat East Yorkshire and book a spot in the main final.

Last year, Huddersfield had to make do with the Jack Lee Cup, after finishing runners-up in the group, and then defeating the runners-up from the other section.

It will be Huddersfield’s fourth scheduled match tomorrow, but only the second they have managed to play after the weather wrecked their opener against the North Yorkshire and South Durham first up in April, and then washed out the match at York two weeks ago at Stillington.

Abandoned games in the Joe Lumb competition are not re-scheduled, with each team gaining one point apiece, and with Huddersfield having scored a brilliant seven-wicket win over Bradford at Thongsbridge – they bowled the visitors out for 136 and knocked them off with three down – they are currently second in Division I with five points (it’s three for a win).

That puts them two behind leaders North Yorkshire/South Durham, who have completed their programme, but one ahead of both Bradford and York, who meet the following week at Undercliffe.

Jack Hendy returns from injury to lead Huddersfield, and is one of three Elland players in the side, the other two being Ashton Blakey, who has been making good runs for the Hullen Edge club’s second team and Alistair Finn, who has now broken into the first team and scored the winning boundary last Saturday to bring up a one-wicket win over Kirkburton.

In the absence of Fraine, Fletcher has brought a new face into the side to make his debut, Marsden’s Joe Smith has has been impressing with the bat for the Premiership side.

Alex Clegg and Ian Walker from Broad Oak, will be joined by Meltham’s Rohan Randhawa, Timmy Taylor from Lascelles Hall, Rastrick’s Bradley Birkhead, Josh Holling from Cawthorne and Lewis Richardson from Central League side Crigglestone.

Ray Bissett will umpire the vital clash, with everyone keeping their fingers crossed over the weather.