HOLSWORTHY skipper Ryan Walter feels his side are ‘underdogs’ as they prepare for Sunday’s Division Two T20 Finals Day at Redruth.

The Trees won the competition in their inaugural campaign last year and after progressing out of a group with Bude and Tintagel and seeing off Werrington Seconds in the quarter-final, the Devon outfit are back to defend their crown.

They take on Division Two West leaders Perranporth in the second semi-final at 1.30pm with the winners taking on Redruth Seconds or their St Austell counterparts in the decider at 4.30pm.

Walter said: “It’s great to reach Finals Day in back-to-back years and we’ve come into form recently with four straight league wins.

“We’re close to, if not at full strength for Sunday, and although we’re probably the underdogs out of the four teams, that’s not a bad thing.

“We managed to win it last year against all the odds and everyone is buzzing to go down there and try and win it again.”

Holsworthy beat Perranporth in last year’s semi-final before defeating Helston Seconds in the final, and Walter expects a tough task against the coastal club who are closing in on promotion to County Division One.

He said: “From what we saw of them last year, they go pretty hard at the top with the bat, and they’re currently top of (Division) Two West, so we know it won’t be easy.

“But for us it’s about sticking to the basics and we won’t be far away.

“I’ve got a good array of bowlers with up to seven options and a long batting line-up, so we’re prepared.

“We’ve also got 60/70 supporters going down on a bus, so hopefully we can put in a good performance, get through the first game and then you never know.”

HOLSWORTHY’S T20 FINALS DAY SQUAD: Jack Greening, Herschelle Poggenpoel, Fred King, Ryan Walter (capt), Jasper Presswell, Aiden Gerry, Brendan Harris, Dan Smith, Chris Pomeroy (wkt), Rob Mitchell, Lewis Chidley. 12th man: Nick Ward.

THE Trees secured comfortable away victories at Ladock and Tintagel last weekend to move up to fourth in the Division Two East table, and Walter hopes they can finish there in a packed top seven.

Looking ahead to the final three games, which start with a visit from leaders St Austell Seconds tomorrow (1pm), he said: “We’ve not been quite as consistent as we were last year, well nobody has really with the exception of St Austell, but we’re up to fourth and have come into some form.

“It’ll be a tough one tomorrow but we’re the only team to have beaten them so far this year and the forecast isn’t great, so we’ll have to see what happens.

“We also seem to put in better performances against the better teams and worse ones against the lower teams, but if we can finish third or fourth again that’d be another successful season for the club.

“But we also know if we’d have won some of the games we’ve thrown away then we’d be even further up, but I’m sure lots of clubs would say the same.”

Holsworthy v St Austell Seconds (1pm): Jack Greening, Jack May, Herschelle Poggenpoel, Ryan Walter (capt), Aiden Gerry, Brendan Harris (wkt), Dan Smith, Liam Brend, Rob Mitchell, Will Priest, Guy Beagley.