THE gallant run of BWIA through the Evening Standard Cup ended with a thud at the weekend, when they lost in the quarter-finals by six wickets to High Wycombe. However, the side that has a strong Caribbean accent was made to do without Chris Foggo, whose eligibility became an issue after the third-round defeat of Hainault & Clayhall a fortnight ago.

Frank David, the BWIA manager, confirmed that the 20-year-old St. David's and Bermuda wicketkeeper-batsman was sat down because he does not fulfil the 24-month residential requirements of the competition. Significantly, the same applies to OJ Pitcher, who is back in England after a brief sojourn to Bermuda to play in Cup Match and witness Glenn Blakeney's pyrotechnic display on Sunday.

"We were given wrong information that they were cleared by the ECB (England and Wales Cricket Board)," David said. "He has to be living here for two years before competing in this kind of event. Going into the quarter-final, I had to rest him because we couldn't take the chance that he would be reported."

David added that Foggo is clear to resume playing for BWIA in the Western Union Trophy - they play at home at Leyton County in the quarter-finals on Sunday - because he is aged under 21.

Residential status is soon to become a catchphrase for both Foggo and Pitcher because Pyrford are certainties to win promotion at the end of the season to the Surrey Championship, which is run by the ECB. The players have been told already that they will not be allowed to play in the championship given their present status - they are required to live in the country for six months prior to the new season - unless either of them is nominated as the overseas player.

Pyrford's unblemished romp through the Surrey County League first division ended on Saturday when their match with Old Pauline was abandoned without a ball bowled.

"It rained for two-and-a-half hours and the field was left saturated," Foggo said. "We thought we had a chance to drain the pitch but our pump room was flooded."

With Kingstonian having their match against Thames Ditton abandoned after the favourites had crept to 22 for three from nine overs, the Pyrford lead remains at 11 points with five rounds remaining. The procession of winning promotion to the Surrey Championship should draw nearer to fruition tomorrow with a fixture away to Horley, who are bottom of the league with only three losing draws to support their fight against relegation.

Then, it is the big clash of the season, away to Kingstonian, who beat Pyrford handily in the League Cup second round in June. The match will be Pitcher's last before returning to school in Bermuda. "That is why I didn't stay behind for the Eastern Counties Cup," the 19-year-old St. David and Bermuda all-rounder explained. "I would have been back here for only a week and then had to leave."

Nevertheless, Pitcher is in no doubt that he and Foggo will have to look for new clubs next season if they are to return to these shores, with a number of Surrey County League outfits having already put out feelers.

Ryan Steede did his reputation no harm at Atherstone Town when he claimed five for 81 in an uninterrupted 23-over spell against Nuneaton but rain had the final say as the match was abandoned with the home side three without loss.

The other matches in the Warwickshire Cricket League first division were also rain-affected but the winning draw accorded to Atherstone has left them 24 points clear of Aston Manor, who are in the second relegation position.

Southern Railway would have loved a spot of rain in their Surrey Championship third division fixture away to Dulwich, the leaders. As it was, the only rain was on their promotion hopes as the home side, led by Mark Kenlocke, the former Surrey bowler who claimed six for 17, scored a comprehensive ten-wicket victory.

In heavy conditions, suited to swing bowling, Dulwich rolled over the Railway for 45, bringing flashbacks of a certain Windward Islands-Bermuda match three years ago. Yours Truly was out for one, driving at a late outswinger and giving an edge to second slip. The personal failure ended a run of four matches with scores in excess of 50. But that is the beauty of cricket, the great leveller. Strangely enough, other results went in our favour, most significantly the upset defeat of Old Wimbledonians, the second-placed team. So the gap remains at 26 points, but with only five fixtures remaining and three more teams in the equation, we need to get a move on from sixth place, starting with Worcester Park at home tomorrow.