STUDLEY skipper Stuart Harris is calling on his players to raise their game ahead of this weekend's crunch Birmingham League match at Coleshill.
And he had a stark warning for his under-achieving Division Three outfit - do the business or get used to playing Warwickshire League cricket next season.
Harris was speaking after seeing his side surrender a match-winning position in their final home match of the season when a dismal batting display handed visitors Olton & WW a narrow victory.
A win on Saturday would have steered Studley to safety but instead they face the prospect of a second successive relegation only this time they would be dropping out of the Birnmingham League altogether.
"People must realise that they need to do the business on Saturday," Harris explained. "If our big players turn up and play then I'm confident we will be OK."
"I look at the team I pick each week and cannot see many better players around the league. I honestly believe we are good enough to stay up but the players need to take responsibility, something that has not been happening.
"We have played some shocking cricket this season, the batting has been atrocious.
"It was the same on Saturday, we bowled well but just didn't apply ourselves. There was no application and we just paniced towards the end.
"We need to put that right and we have one chance to do it, on Saturday."
Batting first, Olton were restricted to 142-8 from their 55 overs at the weekend. Harris was the pick of the bowlers with 3-17 while Brandon Miller and Jawaad Nazir took two apiece.
But the home side found runs hard to come by, Omaad Nazir top scoring with 31, and the Washford Fields outfit were all out for just 120 in the final over.
The result leaves Studley fourth from bottom of Divison Three with just Saturday's game at Coleshill to play. If they win and at least match relegation rivals Wem's points total from their match with Ombersley, then they will avoid the drop.
Mark Edward and Adie Smith will be missing at the weekend but Richard Gregory and Marc Lewis are due to return while 2nds skipper John Swanick steps up to the first team.
"We got into the Birmingham League ten years ago and have been there ever since," Harris added. "Relegation to the Warwickshire League would be pretty disastrous on the playing and bad for me as captain."
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