SWINTON Moorside are looking to learn how to lose more successfully.

The bonus points system in the Bolton Association mean teams can rake in the points even when they lose matches.

Experienced sides know the most effective ways of gathering points in defeat, but the art of losing has very much eluded Swinton Moorside in their first season in the league.

“We don’t lose well if you know what I mean,” said captain Jonny Herreran.

“We want to be in the top six so we go out very much to win.

“We’re quite aggressive in the way we play and we’ve won a few games, but when we lose we get hammered.

“We go at it just looking to win. Maybe we have got to look at that and try to lose more cleverly.

“We also got caught out by the run rate against Edgworth when we were actually ahead of where they were when the rain came down.

“After that we played Golborne and we were 60-0 after four or five overs and then we were 80-8.

“We were really going for it because of what happened to us against Edgworth, and we got done again. But it’s all about learning.”

Swinton go into this weekend’s league double header away to Walshaw today and Lostock tomorrow in 11th place, but just 11 points behind the sixth spot they are targeting, so tight is the league this season.

And Herreran, who has been at the club for 22 years, says this season is a learning curve following their switch from the Manchester Association, one which has been made steeper by not being able to get much benefit from home advantage so far.

“We’ve had three home games rained off and only played four so we’ve not had much chance to take anyone on at on our own ground,” he said.

“After playing Blackrod in the first game, our next home game was at the end of June. We’re learning all the time by going to new grounds every week in a good competitive league.

“We’re going to places like Daisy Hill where we don’t know what’s a good score and what’s a bad score, whereas we knew the Manchester Association grounds inside out. It is a bit of a challenge.

“We think we have added to the good standard. We like to play hard and give everyone a good game. We are trying to prove something to everyone and I think everyone is trying to prove something to us as the new boys.

Moorside suffered a major blow when one of their main batsmen, Jamie McDougall, was ruled out for the season after having a knee operation.

“He’s a top batsman, our number three, and he’ll be a massive loss,” said Herreran.

“He signed off with a cracking innings in his last game when he scored 120-odd.

“We’ve also struggled with having five or six regular first-teamers on holiday at the same time over the last couple of weeks.

“But everyone’s back now and we’ll have a consistent side for the rest of the season.

“We have a consistent team of regular players with a lot of solid amateurs.

“The batting and bowling orders don’t change much and we have strong amateurs. We don’t go out and get a superstar pro because we want to make sure the amateurs are the ones who do the job for the club.

“Brad Palmer came over to pro for us in 2007 and has stayed ever since. He lives in Bolton and is a decent left-arm bowler.

“The openers, David Flatley and James Wade, have 40 years of experience at the club between them and they are only 30 and 34.

“And at number four is Callum Flynn who plays for England’s physical disability team.

“He’s toured with them twice and also plays for Lancashire Physical disability team.

“If he wasn’t classed as a physical disability player I think he would be playing for the proper Lancashire team because he’s probably the classiest batsman we have got.”