THE foundation for Pyrford's claims of winning promotion from the Surrey County League was put in place toward the end of last year when Roland Butcher was confirmed as player-coach and Nadeem Afzaal, the Pakistan first-class player, as their overseas professional. After beginning the season with 13 wins on the trot, that ambition is but five points away from being realised, so the bar has been raised.

Nothing less than promotion as champions to the Surrey Championship third division will do but Kingstonian, who have put the only blemish on Pyrford's season, with an eight-wicket defeat in the League Cup second round, loom in a clash of the giants tomorrow that, with four weeks left in the campaign, is being touted as the title decider.

"There has not been a lot of excitement in the build-up but people are really serious about this game," Chris Foggo, one of two young Bermudians to have spent the summer in England, said. "I would like to win but many others would be satisfied with the draw."

After last weekend's rain-affected round, Pyrford's lead grew to 13 points as they claimed six points from a winning draw against Horley, the bottom club, while Kingstonian's match at home to Croydon MO was abandoned with the visiting team on 136 for nine after 52 overs.

Pyrford made 204 for four declared in 38 overs, with OJ Pitcher making 21, and Horley, whose innings was interrupted for more than two hours by rain, replying with 41 for three from 20 overs, the latter figure confirming the match as official.

"It was poor conditions," Foggo, who did not bat, added. "Our bowlers were coming from two paces and the batsmen were finding it difficult to move around in the popping crease. We forced them to play, really."

There is no chance of a similar scenario tomorrow as Kingstonian are the team placed in the must-win situation. What is more, they have fond memories of the June 1 beating they put on the team that would be champions.

Central to their triumph was Aamir Nazir, the former Pakistan bowler, who signed from Ashtead of the Surrey Championship as the end of last season. Nazir claimed four wickets to put Pyrford on the back foot but the day was memorable for Pitcher as he scored a team-high 31.

The 19-year-old will be playing his last match for Pyrford before returning to Bermuda on Tuesday evening for school commitments. He was not required for BWIA's most recent triumph, a 152-run win over Leyton County in the Western Union Trophy quarter-finals. BWIA made 240 for six, with Foggo again not required to bat, and dismissed the opposition for 88 in one of their most comprehensive wins of the competition, which caters to ethnic teams in Surrey, Essex and Middlesex.

Up in the West Midlands, Atherstone Town went through the frustratingly familiar range of emotions in the Warwickshire Cricket League first division, in which they allowed a position of strength to devolve into one of survival before securing a losing draw away to Olton & West Warwicks.

Atherstone, after slipping to 11 for two in response to the third-place side's 189 for nine in 50 overs, recovered admirably with Noel Gibbons, the former Bermuda all-rounder who is player-coach, and Dave Blower, the captain putting on 101.

But Gibbons gloved an attempted hook shot to the wicketkeeper on 46 and the bottom fell out of the Atherstone innings in quick order as they collapsed to 127 for eight, with Ryan Steede, who claimed one for 28 from 12 overs earlier, recording one of the three successive ducks from numbers six through eight.

The final two pairings saved the day for the visiting team, however, as they closed on 143 for nine to claim seven points. They are now 33 clear of Aston Manor, the team in the second relegation place at tenth but have a game in hand.

In the Surrey Championship third division, rain affected Southern Railway's match at home to Worcester Park before Railway were frustrated at the death. Sent in to bat, the home team made only 138 with Yours Truly, paying the price for a late arrival due to London traffic, out for a duck at number three. Ray Tudor made 65 to provide the basis of a decent total before a late collapse let Worcester Park in with a shout.

However, a 45-minute downpour and a further hour's wait to ready the pitch left the visiting side with only 20 minutes and 20 overs to force a result. They took up the challenge but lost momentum midway. Railway, whose out-cricket was solid up until the fall of the seventh wicket, then dropped three catches and botched two run-out opportunities before claiming the eighth with only two overs remaining.

The final injury was that Worcester Park, who closed on 108 for eight, claimed the winning draw which, with Old Wimbledonians having their match abandoned without a ball bowled, leaves us still 26 behind the second-placed team. With four matches left and in eighth place, promotion is looking a way off for a side that has not won since June 22.

After a solitary run in my past two innings, what better than to accept a midweek match in which I featured for as Chairman's XI against The Mote as part of their cricket week. Another draw, but I made 41 out of 224 for four declared, having had to contend with a fiery opening bowler from Australia. He and I were due to be in the same team yesterday for the blue-riband fixture of the week against Chinghoppers.

The Mote is a beautiful ground that hosts two Kent fixtures a season, and they have dropped hints that I join them next season - given that I am averaging 195 in three guest appearances - but, no matter how appealing, such long journeys on a weekly basis would be a bit much, methinks.