RAYLEIGH Cricket Club first team captain Jason Ox has backed his young team to hit back and enjoy a profitable remainder of the season.

A fifth defeat in six matches has left Rayleigh second from bottom in the T-Rippon Mid-Essex League Premier Division.

Rayleigh lost by seven wickets against Goresbrook at the weekend and face second-placed Springfield in their next encounter.

But Ox says circumstances have forced his hand after a number of senior players departed shortly before the start of the season.

“We have had a tough start to the year,” he said. “We lost three or four senior players at the start of the season and have adopted a policy of playing youth. We have had two or three 16-year-olds playing and they have been outstanding and they have relished the opportunity.

“But we have come up short with our batting and haven’t scored enough runs and it is frustrating. We played Aythorpe Roding a few weeks ago and were well on top and needed 25 runs off 17 overs but bad light saw us pulled off.

“But it is the way it has gone for us. Senior players are important and were firmly in my plans for the season ahead in terms of leadership but they decided to move on and play their cricket elsewhere, which I respect.

“Now I don’t have a choice and I have to play them. They have been thrown in the deep end and it’s a steep learning curve but it’s the best way to learn.

“Elliott Ward (left arm bowler) and Will Wheeler (all-rounder) have been superb along with other lads stepping up.”

But Ox is confident of remaining in the division, despite the less than promising start.

And he believes his young squad are capable of turning it around.

“Our goal is to stay up,” said the Rayleigh captain. “We understand we are a fringe club in terms of the Premier Division and Division One, so we will take it week by week.

“If a few things go our way we can be a mid-table side, I am confident of that.”