EDGWORTH captain Guy Haynes has finally admitted his side is good enough to with the league.

Haynes said in pre-season and again in the middle of the campaign when they were top that he didn't expect his side to win the Bolton Association.

But ahead of the final five elite group games he has acknowledged it is within their power to scoop the last ever Association title.

Edgworth are 22 points clear of second-placed Swinton Moorside and 29 in front of fourth-placed Bury with Flixton in between.

With 13 points for a win those four are realistically the only teams who can win the league.

Haynes maintained earlier in the season that while he he knew he had a lot of good players, they might not be ready to overcome the best of the rest.

The reasons for his change of mind are that his side have gelled far better than he thought they would and that they have the best spirit he has known in 23 years of senior first-team cricket.

Ahead of tomorrow's home game against Atherton – one of only two teams to have beaten Edgworth in the league this season – he said: "I've been surprised by how well we've done considering the changes made over the winter

"I knew we had good players but I didn't think we would do as well as we have at this stage.

"There were quite a few changes in and out and while I thought we brought in some really good players we haven't got a Jamar (Griffith, the Atherton professional) who is a truly exceptional player who can win you 12 or 13 games on his own.

"We have a lot of players who can play well within the team and who have a very good attitude and a lot of commitment. And everyone is capable of a match-winning performance.

"We have done things collectively. We have put on partnerships with the bat, and in the field we have put pressure on the opposition as a group.

"And it's collectively that we hope we will be able to see it through.

"In 23 years of playing first team cricket this is the best dressing room I have every played in. It's a fantastic bunch of lads to play with and to captain.

"It is very rare you get 11 people pulling in the same direction and we have got 13 because Nick Kernick and Rob Bancroft have come in and done just as well as the others."

Despite acknowledging his side's capability of winning the title, Haynes will not be counting any chickens at any point over the next five games.

"None of these games is going to be guaranteed for any of the sides because these are the best sides in the league this season," said the captain who will have deputy pro Aneeq Hassan in for the injured Chris Read for the third game in a row, while Chris Tye will also be missing.

"If we win three games that would be enough for us, but we might not need to win three because if any of the sides manage to win all five they will have done unbelievably well.

"Atherton were worthy winners on the day when they beat us recently. We also got absolutely hammered by Adlington in the cup and set that record straight last week and hopefully we can do the same on Saturday."

Read could be out for the rest of the season with a cruciate knee ligament injury and Hassan has been secured for at least the next three games.

Tomorrow's fixtures – Top six: Edgworth v Atherton, Flixton v Swinton Moorside, Lostock v Bury. Middle six: Worsley v Blackrod, Astley & Tyldesley v Adlington, Walshaw v Winton. Bottom six: Standish v Darcy Lever, Golborne v Little Hulton, Westleigh v Daisy Hill.