But he insists it's not a case of panic stations yet – with the principal task in hand being to get some runs on the board after toiling with the bat since the season got under way.

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Congs were denied the chance of shrugging off Saturday's shock Division
One loss to promoted Esholt – the stand-out result so far this season –
when their Priestley Cup derby with Pudsey St Lawrence was rained off the following day.

The sodden outfield ensured that the tie was again cancelled on Monday, with the match now pencilled in for this Sunday at the Britannia Ground.

But despite an insipid start with the bat, last season's runners-up
Congs are keeping calm.

Middlebrook said: "We've got to bat better, simple as that.


"We were well beaten on Saturday, full marks to Esholt. They applied
themselves pretty well.

"We dropped two or three catches and were a bit slack in the field. But the fact that we haven't got more than 165 runs in our first two games shows we aren't firing on all cylinders.

"We've lost the toss on both occasions, but that's no excuse. We batted poorly against Woodlands and now against Esholt."

But Middlebrook added:"It's not panic stations. Our newcomer Mohammed
Naved looks a nice bowler and bowled with heart on Saturday and was a bit unlucky.

"It's only May and I'd say we are disappointed, but not down hearted."

Esholt stunned Congs by seven wickets to chalk up their first-ever topflight win – and followed up on Monday with an identical success in the Priestley Cup at Brighouse.

The Esholt Lane outfit, hammered by 141 runs on the opening day against Hanging Heaton, restricted Congs to 155-8 batting first, although it could have been worse for the big guns.

Congs had slipped to 81-6, but got back on an even keel, of sorts.

Top scorer was Babar Butt (49), spinner Ben Platt bagging 3-43.

Replying, the Cummins brothers, Paul – who hit 40 – and Mark (23) put
on 49 for the first wicket and Shahzaib Khan (37) and Gulsheraz Ahmed (30) added impetus as Richard Whitehurst's men reached 158-3.