NAEEM Akhtar top-scored with the bat and took a mean 4-20 from almost 15 overs with the ball but the Rolls-Royce captain insisted his side's promotion charge has to be a team effort.

“Overall, it was a good team effort and that's what we're trying to do here,” said Akhtar, in his first season captaining the side.

“I tell the team, if you give me 100 per cent, it's no problem whatsoever if you win or lose.

“Everybody was backing each other up, helping each other. You can't rely on two or three players; this is a team game and if someone's down we're trying to back him up.

“It was a good sporting wicket, which did a bit for the bowlers but came on to the bat as well.

“I told the team I thought 225 or 230 would be a good, fighting score, then Zaheer Abbasi batted very well for us and, when we reached 248, I thought that was a very good score.”

Akhtar played down his own contribution to that score, having batted carefully to reach a top score on the day of 68.

“There was a bit of responsibility when I went in,” he said.

“We had lost a couple of quick wickets and I thought I had better change my game, just for a while.

“It's not difficult to score on that wicket – once you get in. So I relied on the singles this time and cut out the big shots. It was the right thing to do.

“When they batted, young Sahd Shafiq bowled really well and it was the crucial turning point, really, when he took two wickets in an over.”

It did not escape Akhtar's notice that players from Rolls-Royce's promotion rivals, Aston-on-Trent, turned up to watch the outcome midway through Swarkestone's innings but it only made him increase his effort.

“We knew they were there and we knew they'd won,” he said.

“They'll only come down if they've won! It acted as a boost for us. We knew we had to win if they had, to close that gap on them at the top, and it made us all try harder.”

Akhtar is looking forward to the chance to lead Rolls-Royce into the Derbyshire Premier League next season but he took the opportunity to urge his younger players to apply themselves more.

“We have a lot of young guys in the side who are trying hard – but I would like to see them practise more,” he said.

“We don't have too many turning up on our training nights. I do my own practise, two or three days a week, with some of the other overseas professionals who live around here. We go to nets at Normanton Park.

“But the young guys need to be more keen to practise. They need to learn more and I can't teach them during the matches!

“But we're getting there. My plan is longer than just one or two seasons. I'm looking at developing the club over a longer period.”