Heated Eastern Counties rivals St. David's and Bailey's Bay will lock horns for the first time this year at Lords tomorrow with both sides looking to take not only early season bragging rights from their opponents, but also lay a heavy blow to each others 50-over title aspirations.

Bay are one of only two unbeaten sides in the league, with Southampton Rangers being the other, having won all three of their opening matches, while St. David's have bounced back from an opening day loss to Somerset, winning their last two matches and preparing for a tough string of matches on the horizon.

One player who is ready for the battle is veteran St. David's batsman OJ Pitcher, who believes the formbook will be thrown out the window when the two sides take to the field tomorrow.

Although training has been good for the most past at St. David's, the talented cricketer admitted preparations for this specific match have been far and away the best he has been involved in thus far in the early season.

"It is a big game for both sides," said Pitcher. "To be honest, although training has been having good turnouts, we should bring the same intensity to training just like in the build-up to a Bay game.

"Whenever we have Bay, everyone seems to step their game up but we should be at that level every week but being our heated rival we want to give them nothing.

"A win over them would get us back in the fight considering we have one loss already and they are league leaders."

St. David's championship credentials will be thoroughly tested over the next three weeks with assignments against Rangers and Willow Cuts following this weekend's showdown.

Yet while the big clubs all have their eyes squarely centred on last year's champions, Pitcher believes now is as good a time as any to remind their challengers just why they are champions.

With a few injuries among their ranks including Justin Pitcher, another loss this early in the campaign will be a potentially lethal blow to their repeat ambitions.

"Our next three games will be crucial with Bay then Willow Cuts and then Southampton Rangers, so we need to get the wins now and stay close to the leaders.

"The champions of the league this year will have no more than two losses in my eyes so it is crucial to get a win starting tomorrow.

"We don't want lose twice in the opening month so it is crunch time already for us.

"Injuries will be a big factor, like Justin won't play and he would have been crucial for us.

"It always seems to set up that we are missing a few players before big games but we have the younger guys coming in to pull the weight and fill any gaps that are open.

"We have enough senior players to step up and show what they are made of so I think we will be ok. "

The day's other games will see Rangers try and take advantage of any slip up by Bay when they host Devonshire Rec. at Southampton Oval, while Willow Cuts host Somerset at Somerset Cricket Club in a West End derby.

In the First Division, Social Club face Western Stars, Cleveland take on St George's, and Somerset Bridge will play Flatts.