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Battle for survival heats up

Battle for survival as the cricket season nears an end. File picture.

Kamau Leverock wants his PHC team to treat tomorrow’s Premier Division clash with Southampton Rangers as just another game, even though defeat would mean almost certain relegation for the Warwick club.The Bermuda all-rounder will be in charge for the second time after PHC opted to relieve Jason Anderson of his duties following a miserable season in which they have won three games, and lost six.Two of those wins, however, were default victories over Young Men’s Social Club, who withdrew from the league in June, while their only win came against St George’s last month.While Rangers and PHC are level on 46 points at the bottom of the Premier Division, Rangers still have 13 points to come from their second Social Club game, which was originally due to be played on August 21.In reality then Rangers have 59 points, only six points behind Devonshire Rec (65) who are flirting with the relegation zone and play Rangers at home in a week’s time.All this means that PHC are in a lot of trouble, but Leverock doesn’t want the side putting any more pressure on themselves than there already is.“It’s an important game for us (against Rangers),” said Leverock. “We’ve been talking about this game for some time, things haven’t been working for us and we’re now going to have to fight to stay up“We just have to go into it like it’s any other game without putting any unnecessary pressure on ourselves, just play cricket.”PHC had Rangers’ number last season which began with a win in the Belco Cup, and saw them take their rivals’ Western County crown and beat them in the league as Rangers closed in on the title.This season Rangers are on top, and after blowing a golden opportunity to get another win on the board when they drew with Bailey’s Bay last weekend, they’ll be looking for a victory to keep in touch with Devonshire Rec.Rec are by no means safe and play Bay tomorrow at Sea Breeze Oval knowing that defeat will drag them right back into the relegation scrap.The two sides have played each once already this season, a game which Bay won by 53 runs, but the home side will be going into the game on the back of today’s Eastern Counties clash against Flatts and it is anyone’s guess what state they might be in.However, the visiting team will have to go into the game without Dean Richards who was handed a one match ban on Thursday following an incident during last Sunday’s win over PHC.Bay though can’t afford to be complacent, they might be second but with five games still to play they are only seven points ahead of Rec, and the introduction of the bonus point system this season means that the only team who are mathematically safe from relegation are league leaders St David’s who are 39 points clear at the top.Wendell Smith’s side have the next two weekends off, courtesy of Social Club’s demise, and by the time they do return to action at home against PHC on August 21 they might be champions and their opponents could be contemplating life in the First Division.In all likelihood St David’s are champions in everything but name already and the real battle will be to avoid –relegation and secure a Belco Cup spot.Two sides who will harbour hopes of finishing in the top four face each other at Wellington Oval tomorrow when St George’s take on Willow Cuts, although both will also be looking anxiously over their shoulders.Of the two, St George’s appear more in danger as their season has –threatened to unravel in recent weeks, and while they might be third at the moment, they’re not far away from –being dragged into a fight for survival of their own..With only one side coming up from the First Division this year, tomorrow’s game between top two Western Stars and Cleveland would have gone a long way to deciding which one of those clubs would get promoted.However, this week’s fire at HWP has meant the game has had to be postponed leaving the Somerset derby between Somerset and Somerset Bridge and Flatts’ rescheduled match against Warwick as the only First Division fixtures this weekend.