NEW Atherton skipper Calum Barlow does not subscribe to the theory his side are major underachievers this season.

The 26-year-old wicketkeeper took over the captaincy from Paul Walsh a fortnight ago and appears to have had something of a magic touch after leading the club to their first two wins of the season.

But Barlow plays down both the change in fortune and the widely-held feeling Atherton were the best team to come out of the Bolton Association into the Bolton League this season.

"People said we were the best of the Association sides but we didn't think we were," said the man who started playing cricket at Little Hulton for a couple of years before playing his junior cricket at Atherton from under-13s to u18s, then returning to Little Hulton at 18 to start his senior career and then going back to Atherton three seasons ago.

"A lot of our players had finished playing and we are a really young side, really young.

"We never felt we were the best of the Association sides. We knew Daisy Hill could compete and Lostock are probably the best of the Association sides.

"But we've not done too badly even if we haven't been winning.

"We've had a tough set of fixtures but even so we would have expected to defend 195 against Daisy in the first game of season and we didn't.

"We had no pro in that game which would have made a difference but we still should have won.

"We lost by one run at Bradshaw, and against Horwich they only got 160 and we should have knocked it off.

"A lot of it has been our own fault, doing half a job – either bowling well or batting well but never both well enough.

"It's been hard getting a consistent team out and I don't think Paul was enjoying being captain as much as he used to.

"He'd done it for four years and has been successful and I think he just felt it was time for a change.

"They asked who wanted it and I wasn't that interested but a few people said they wanted me to go for it so I couldn't refuse it once I had that backing.

"I've had a good start but we've not really been playing much different. We knew the last two games were potentially more winnable although both teams had beaten Westhoughton just before we played them.

"We were used to playing Blackrod in the Association and knew we had a chance of beating them, and once we won that we felt the same when we played Eagley."

Professional Brenton Parchment took six wickets in the Eagley win last weekend after a slow start to the season.

"Although it's not been happening for him with the bat he never looks out of form," said Barlow.

"He seems to have got into a rhythm with the ball. He took three for not many against Blackrod and tied them up at one end, and then six wickets against Eagley.

"The runs will come because he's a great player. He's superb in training and his knowledge is unbelievable. I've never seen someone get so much respect."

Barlow says Atherton do not have a target finishing position, and are focusing on developing the young team into a force for the future.

"We've got some great young players who will take time to develop," he said.

"Leighton Smith has started opening the batting and is only 18, so are Harry McManus and Danny Ashton, and Josh Gilluly is as good as any amateur and he's in the under-21s.

"Jack Shovelton's the same age and he's another really good player so we're a very young side that needs time.

"We're not going to add to the pressure by saying we want a top-10 finish. That's not impossible but the important thing is to enjoy our cricket and get some pride back.

"We're all loving the change to the Bolton League. It's really competitive. The teams are in your face, which I personally like, and the standard is much better than the Association which has to be good."