SAM Bristol has targeted a half century of wickets for Salesbury after taking six in a stunning win over Settle last weekend - including a hat-trick.

It was the second hat-trick of the young medium-to-fast paced bowler’s Ribblesdale League career. But he is now aiming for his best-ever return for a season in the remaining eight games.

Bristol, who took seven wickets against Earby earlier in the season, has 26 so far, meaning he needs an average of three per game to reach his top goal.

But his match-winning moment against then leaders Settle has given him the confidence to achieve it.

“I didn’t get the start to the season I wanted so I’ve been trying to put extra work into my bowling and work on my game,” said the 22-year-old.

“I went out to the square with the wicket-keeper last Tuesday and put some cones out trying to hit my areas that I was hitting all last season. This season I’ve been a bit wayward, but the extra work paid off at the weekend.

“I’ve been on two before and bowled the next ball horribly, so I just had to run up and hope for the best.

“I got a hat-trick against Euxton two years ago, but we lost that game.

“So to do it again, against the top of the league, and win, was fantastic.

“I just want to keep winning games now and keep taking wickets. I’m aiming towards 50, but I want 40 minimum.”

Of the team target, Bristol added: “We want to get promotion back to the A section and hopefully win the T20 finals.

“We are really strong with the ball but we sometimes struggle with batting, but if we can start scoring runs I think we will be a hard team to beat.”

Salesbury only made 81 against Settle, but Bristol practically single-handedly gave the league a shake-up to skittle the leaders for 46 and, with Oswaldtwistle Immanuel winning, knock the defending champions off the top.

“It was a game we didn’t really look like we were going to win, then Sam just bowled a brilliant spell and we got the win out of nowhere,” said Salesbury captain Stephen Brown.

“A couple of weeks ago we got a pasting off Settle so it was a bit of a turn-up for the books.

“Plus it was all the more satisfying to do it there, when they were top of the league at the time.

“Oswaldtwistle Immanuel won to go top so it’s blown it wide open.

“Settle looked like they were going to walk the league again like they did last year but this has made it more interesting for everyone.”

Of Bristol, he said: “He has been working really hard on his bowling this season and he is getting his rewards.

“He’s 22 so he’s still only a young lad, but he has been in the first team for four or five years since joining from Clitheroe.

“He hasn’t really had the wickets he deserves, but this year he has, just through putting in the practise and doing his own thing as well as coming to nets.”

Salesbury host Brinscall in the league on Saturday, and Brown added: “It was the third week we’ve defended a low total.

“The bowlers have been doing well but the batsmen need to step up now and score a few more.”