IT has been a tough start to the campaign for East Bierley and they go into tomorrow’s All Rounder Cricket Bradford Premier League game with New Farnley without their skipper Dan Shuffe.

He is recovering after having his tonsils removed earlier this week and will miss his team’s next two matches.

East Bierley and their hosts New Farnley have both yet to register a win and will be anxious to break their ducks.

While East Bierley have been beaten by Morley and Bradford & Bingley, New Farnley lost to champioins Pudsey St Lawrence on the opening day and saw their match at Pudsey Congs called off last week.

East Bierley have been hit by their perennial problem of early-season unavailability. Former England all-rounder Gavin Hamilton, and their two wicketkeeper-batsmen Mark Gill and James Ford have missed the early action.

Ford, who has recovered from a broken thumb, is due to return tomorrow along with Gill, while Hamilton is expected to be back next week.

Shuffe said: “It has been a tough start for us and we have definitely missed Gavin, James and Mark as they all bat at the top of the order and will make a difference to our batting line up alongside Fahid Rehman and our new overseas player Muhammad Waqas.”

The 20-year-old Waqas made his debut against Bradford & Bingley last week and East Bierley will be hoping he can re-discover the form which saw him make over 800 runs for Karachi Blues in the most recent domestic season in Pakistan.

The performance of the bowlers has encourage Shuffe with left-arm spinner Luke Jarvis, who will lead the side in the captain’s absence, starting well after undergoing surgery on a neck injury in the winter.

Another player who has pleased his captain has been former Manningham Mills and Saltaire opening bowler Tuseif Arshad. “He has fitted in really well and can bowl at the death,” said Shuffe.

Perhaps the game of the day will be at Tofts Road where the champions Pudsey St Lawrence will be looking for their third win in a row against a Woodlands side looking to bounce back from their defeat by the early leaders Hanging Heaton.

Newly-promoted Scholes, who are currently propping up the table, visit Bennett Lane tomorrow to take on a Hanging Heaton side that has provided early performances which suggest they will be serious championship contenders.

Cleckheaton, who also have two victories under their belt, will fancy their chances at Bradford & Bingley against a home side that is much-changed from last season.

Farsley have lost both their opening games to Hanging Heaton and Pudsey St Lawrence and will hope to break their sequence at Near-neighbours Pudsey Congs, while Lightcliffe’s powerful batting line-up will not find runscoring easy away to Morley.