Haff persuaded to carry on

Haffenden, who took on the role in the winter, had become frustrated at a perceived reluctance of some second team players to step up to the front side.

“When I came back to the club (at the start of last season) they wanted to win the league, get promoted and build again,” said Haffenden, who scooped the Sussex Division Three (East) batting award as Sidley won the title in 2011.

“We did that last year, but a lot of people from the second team want to be big players and when they come to us probably they’re not going to be. It just got to the point where I thought ‘do I want to be a part of it’?”

Sidley held a players’ meeting to discuss this very issue after the matches on Saturday May 26 (the second completed games of the season), but the problem doesn’t appear to have gone away.

“Mole (club chairman Ian Mollart), Scott (Woodroffe) and a lot of the more senior players have taken a lot off my shoulders,” continued Haffenden, who says he only had six players on the Wednesday before last weekend’s trip to

Ifield and spent a long time on the phone trying to make up the numbers.

“I’m going to give it a go on the basis that I just do it on the pitch, and leave the admin stuff to other people and see how that goes.”

Sidley are 26 points adrift of safety at the foot of Sussex Cricket League Division Two, but should be boosted by the return of Peter King and Ian May for the visit of fourth-placed Cuckfield tomorrow (Saturday).