Cricket: WARRIORS have dropped in-form bowler Simon Bird for today's Home Counties Premier league match at home to North Mymms and replaced him with available-again Paul Woodroffe.

Woody hasn't played at all so far this season because of his new job commitments as a cricket coach at a private school but skipper Paul Sawyer had no hesitation in bringing him straight back into the attack for the clash which starts at 11am.

He said: "It's the hardest thing I have had to do as captain so far but my job is to pick the strongest team. Woody is our best bowler and you have got to pick your best side.

"He topped our bowling averages last term and even though Simon bowled really well last Sunday, it was something I had to do.

"I hated doing it and I have felt bad since. Simon was gutted and I wouldn't expect anything else but I said at the start of the season that we would have to rotate the squad at times and that's what's happened."

Wycombe knew they would be without Woodroffe for various spells during the first half of the season but he is such a vital component of their squad that they are happy to play him when they can.

Warriors go into today's match fresh from last Sunday's 136-run victory over Middlesex in the national Knockout Cup.

Their win, which was achieved courtesy of Gregg Pooley (81), Sawyer (56) and Matt Eyles (50), put the London Roaders into the last 64 of the competition and earned them an away trip to Ealing in the next round on June 12.

Warriors have reached the semi-final twice only to suffer disappointment on both occasions and they are now determined to make it third time lucky this time around.

Sunday's win was the perfect tonic to what had been a disappointing weekend. Just 24 hours earlier their Home Counties Premier League showdown with Slough had been a total washout leaving both sides to settle for seven points each in the championship race.

Fortunately no damage was done to their title aspirations though because all the other fixtures in the division were beaten by the rain.

But after their shock home defeat at the hands of underdogs Finchampstead a week back Wycombe are keen to get their title bid back on track.

Sawyer said: "We're keen to get out. On paper this is another game we should win but I said that about Finchampstead and we know what happened there. We can't afford to be complacent.

"We know that if we don't play to our full potential, they are perfectly capable of springing a surprise like anyone else is in this league.

"You have to earn every win."