THE new season could not be going any better for Bury Cricket Club, but skipper Simon Belston is refusing to get carried away.

They won four out of five matches in the Surridge Trophy, the other match being abandoned, to book their place in the semi-finals, and, in their first match of the Manchester Association Premier Division last weekend, they hammered Whalley Range.

They are through to the second round of the Lancashire Knockout and throw in a semi-final place in the Lyddon Trophy, a Twenty20 event based in Bolton, and it is easy to see why the Radcliffe Road side are riding the crest of a wave.

Professional S J Erwee has hit top form with bat and ball, culminating in a sensational 164 from just 117 balls on Saturday, while Rhys McCarthy is impressing after also hitting a ton against Whalley Range.

It all suggests a successful season, but Belston is not counting his chickens just yet.

“We are going well, but we cannot get ahead of ourselves,” said Belston.

“We just have to keep doing what we are doing. We fancy our chances this season because we do look very strong across the board. The pro has been incredible and Rhys is proving to be very steady. They are both top notch players on and off the pitch.

“The key to success in amateur cricket is having strength in depth. We have that in the batting and bowling.

“Our openingr bowler, Luke Jarvis, for example, bowls at a very good pace and is forming a good partnership with Alex Breckin.

“I have chipped in with a few runs and wickets and Taj Khan has come in from Bolton Indians and looks dangerous every time he bowls.”

Bury will look to continue their good form when they host Winton in the semi-finals of the Surridge Trophy on Sunday, 24 hours after a league encounter at Euxton.

“We are two wins away from our first trophy of the season,” said Belston. “Our aim is to have a really good crack at every competition we are in.

“We are proving we can handle most teams in our league and now we want to transfer that to competitions like the Lancashire Knockout.”