“I think we've got too strong a batting lineup,’’ Rees reasoned.

“Everyone seems to be waiting for someone else to get the runs. That’s something we’ve got to look at – we just can’t expect that someone is going to get runs.’’

Rees made his highest score of the season when smashing 40 last week after a lean start to the campaign.

“Yeah, I got a start, hopefully there’ll be more to come,’’ he said.

Wingham’s batting has been underwhelming in the opening month of the competition. Last match against Wauchope RSL Wingham struggled to 155, aided by some poor fielding. Wauchope made it to 1/32 when rain washed out play.

Wingham meet the improving Kempsey club Nulla tomorrow at the Cedar Party Reserve. This will be Nulla’s first trip to Wingham as last season the Manning and Macleay clubs played at venues in the Hastings when drawn to play each other.

Rees concedes his side’s form has been patchy, but he added they’re still equal second.

“We don’t want to peak too early in the season,’’ he said.

“But we’re still getting good results, to that’s pleasing.’’

On the plus side he said Wingham’s fielding and bowling has been first class, even if the batting has been a bit hit and miss.

Hard hitting middle order batsman Ben Cole returns tomorrow while in a further boost, it appears promising batsman Hayden Essery will be available for a few more matches than originally expected. Essery will eventually have rugby league training commitments in Sydney.

Rees doesn’t think the Nulla players will have too much trouble adapting to conditions at Cedar Party Reserve, even if the majority of them could be playing there for the first time.

“Chatham Park or Johnny Martin might be different. But Cedar Party’s always like a road so I don’t think that will be an issue,’’ he said.

STRUGGLING Taree West will be without three of their top players for tomorrow’s crucial Mid North Coast Premier League cricket clash against Kempsey club Rovers at Johnny Martin Oval.

Without a win this season, the West will be minus batting kingpin Josh Meldrum along with leading allrounders Paul Cox and Josh McLeod.

Skipper Ryan Williams will look to youth to fill the gaps.

“We’ve been calling up players from B-grade and they haven’t been doing much, so we're going to give three under 16s a go,’’ Williams explained.

Josh Jones, who played first grade last match will be joined by fellow 16-year-olds Lachie Brown and Liam Bourne. Brown and Bourne will be making their first grade debuts.

“They can all bat a bit and we know they’ll show a bit of enthusiasm in the field,’’ Williams said.

“That’s what I’m really looking for, a bit of effort.’’

Taree West had the bye last week. They now sit on 11 points, with equal fourth placed United and Nulla on 19.

“That’s an understatement,’’ Williams replied when it was put to him his side badly needs a win.

He said his side can’t afford to give the top teams too big a head start. This is a similar scenario to last season when Wests had a poor star to the year, rallied after the Christma/New Year break but just missed a berth in the top four.

Batting has again been Taree West’s bugbear this season.

However, Williams said some poor bowling in the final 10 overs along with some shoddy fielding cost Taree West a chance of winning their most recent clash against Port Pirates.

Rovers are in a similar position to Taree West and this will be the first time the majority of the Kempsey players have been to the Johnny Martin Oval. 

Williams hopes this will work in his side’s favour.

Rovers’ North Coast representative Callan McKiernan looms as a danger player for Taree West.

UNITED will call veteran allrounder Danial Stone into the side for tomorrow’s important Mid North Coast Premier League cricket clash against Port Magpies at Oxley Oval.

Stone has been a fixture in first grade and Manning representative teams for more than a decade. He captained the successful Manning over 35s last summer.

However, he has been happy to play second grade this season.

Stone has answered an SOS from first grade captain Ricky Campbell for this weekend as United will be without opening bowler Jackson Witts and middle order batsman Justin Boyd.

“Stonie wants to play second grade this season but said he’s happy to give us a hand on Saturday,’’ Campbell said.

Another veteran, top order batsman Josh Ferris also returns to first grade.

Campbell said he’ll now have to find another bowler to fulfill the overs but is confident he’ll be able to share the load around his part-timers.

United suffered their first defeat of the season when losing to Port Pirates by three wins in a rain shortened game last week at Chatham. They've now dropped from equal first to equal fourth place in what is a tightly bunched field.

“We should have been more aware of what was going on and made sure we had the 90 runs at the 20 over mark,’’ Campbell said.

There was no play from this point as play was washed out, with United three runs shy of the required target to claim the win.

However, Campbell is confident the loss was a stumble and not a fall.

“We’re looking to get some good results now leading into Christmas,’’ Campbell said, recalling it was at this stage last year when United lost their way before recovering post Christmas to force their way into the semi-finals.

Campbell said the deck at Oxley Oval is usually conducive for batting. With Witts not playing he is toying with the idea of using a spin option to open the bowling in tandem with the in-form quick Sam Whitbread.

The’ll meet a Magpies side looking to turnaround an inconsistent start to the season. In contrast the rain assisted Magpies last week when they looked to be heading to defeat against Macquarie before the heavens opened.

Representative opening bowler Brendon Badenoch could hold the key for Magpies.

In the other game third placed Wauchope will look to continue Macquarie’s disastrous start to the season in the clash at Andrews Park, Wauchope, where they’ll be hard to beat.

Macquarie, the defending premiers, sit in last place although were denied a win the previous match when rain ruled out play.