LYMINGTON skipper Christian Pain is urging his wounded back-up boys to step up to the plate.

The newly-promoted Larks have found the going tough since switching from limited overs to time pennant a fortnight ago.

Having won four of their opening five 50-overs clashes to claim second spot in the table, Lymington have now slipped to sixth after losing both timed matches.

And a number of Pain’s charges have contributed little in the way of runs and wickets as Lymington have become heavily reliant on big guns Glyn Treagus, Simon Cook and Morgan Rushbrook.

The trio all feature in the SPL top wicket-takers’ list, while Treagus and Rushbrook are both among the leading run-makers.

Pain admitted Lymington had been “well and truly outclassed in every department” following their crushing 179-run defeat by champions Havant six days ago.

And although he missed their narrow three-wicket reverse by Bournemouth, Pain said he was “disappointed” to hear they had lost.

In mitigation, Lymington – Southern League champions in 1983 and 1985 – and several of their young players are tasting timed cricket for the first time.

They are unlikely to have any respite when they host Totton & Eling tomorrow, especially as star all-rounder Treagus is unavailable (11.30am).

Pain said: “We do focus heavily on three guys and if you took Morgan, Glyn and Simon out of our side, it would make life very difficult for us.

“Apart from a couple of teams, I think we are on a par with the rest. We do need everybody chipping in though.”

James Lucy and Ed Freeman return for Lymington.

Lymington: (from) Pain, Kelly, Rushbrook, M Hunt, Cook, Lucy, Grierson, King, Griffiths, Newton, Barton, Freeman.