CLUB captain Marc Brown believes a dose of home comforts can ignite Netherfield’s start to the season and prove the perfect preparation ahead of a feisty Cumbrian derby.

After suffering their second successive loss of the campaign at Fleetwood, Netherfield host Lancaster at Parkside Road on Saturday before travelling to Northern League newcomers Penrith on Monday.

Following the relaying of the outfield, the Lancaster fixture represents Netherfield’s first on their own patch this year, something Brown hopes can prove a catalyst for an upturn in form.

“It’s a big weekend for us and we want to take full points on Saturday,” he said.

“I’m pretty confident of doing that with us being at home – we have a good track record at home since I’ve been at the club.

“And two games back-to-back has probably come at the right moment. We need as much game time as possible after putting two negative results on the board.

“Monday is likely to be a bit of a ‘Kendal’ game. Penrith have come into the league this year and a lot of the players know each other.

“It will be a good contest and as Cumbria rivals they will be out to beat us. Hopefully we’ll stand up to the test and come out the other end of the weekend with two wins.”

Netherfield returned from Broadwater at the weekend on the wrong end of a 68-run defeat after being dismissed for 111 despite restricting Fleetwood to179-9 from 50 overs.

“I have said to the lads I’m convinced we’ll play worse cricket this season and win,” added Brown.

“It’s about getting that full performance. In each game so far we’ve done one job well and the other not so well. All it will take is combining both areas of the game.

“We let ourselves down in the second half on Saturday as we bowled and fielded pretty well and kept them down to a decent total but didn’t apply ourselves with the bat.

“We knew we were in for a pretty tough start with some new personnel in the side and moulding those players together and working out their individual roles in the team.”

And while consecutive defeats is not how Brown envisaged starting the summer, he is certainly not in the mood to panic, realising there is plenty of scope to regain lost ground.

“We started pretty well last year but then had a blip,” he said.

“Sometimes it works in cycles and you’re not necessarily playing your best cricket until a quarter of the way through the season, with momentum building towards the end.”