Captain Jason Harrison admits his Oxford side need High Wycombe to slip up if they are to have a chance of catching them in the Serious Cricket Home Counties Premier League Division 1 title race.

With seven games to go, the Bucks club have a commanding 44-point lead over second-placed Oxford.

And Harrison, who takes his side to lowly Welwyn Garden City tomorrow, said: “A lot of the pressure is on Wycombe now and we have to hope they slip up and we play some pretty decent cricket, which we have done all year.”

Welwyn have yet to win a game this season – which has surprised Harrison. “It is extraordinary because of the talent they have got in their team,” he added.

“They should have won the league last year and threw it away at the back end of the campaign and it is a similar side to that which they had last year.

“We have to make sure we go there with confidence and be positive in everything we do.”

Stewart Laudat, who was unavailable for last week’s wash-out against Falkland, and Nick Ferraby, who was a late withdrawl, return to a squad of 13, with Tom Geeson-Brown dropping down to the 2nd XI.

Banbury bring Ollie Wright into a squad of 12 for the home game against Harpenden.

Wright took 2-56 and hit 73 for Oxon Development XI against Free Foresters this week.

And skipper Ian Hawtin said: “He bowled and batted well for the Development XI and is a good prospect for the future.”

New Horspath captain Adam Krol is backing his players to post a much-needed win in their Division 2 West relegation battle at Gerrards Cross.

Krol, who was denied the chance to lead the side at Burnham for the first time by last week’s wash-out, said: “Obviously it is a big game because they are nearer us in the table and I am sure they will be saying the same thing.

“I know if we play well with the guys in the side we have got we can go there and win.”

Paul Muchall hit 133 for Gerrards Cross in the draw at Horspath earlier this season.

But he is one of several players the Bucks club have on the Lord’s ground staff who may be missing due to their commitments at the Test match between England and India.

Krol, who names an unchanged side, added: “Obviously it will probably have an impact. Gerrards Cross over the years have had guys on the MCC staff and they may have good players that are missing, but having said that they have always done well in the past, so I am not reading too much into that.”

Vice-captain Mike Higgs and batsman Ed Barnett are unavailable for Thame Town’s clash with Reading at Church Meadow.

Spinner Hiren Desai comes back into the side along with all-rounder Ed Goggs.

Left-arm spinner Nat Wat-kins and Andrew Tolson come into Aston Rowant’s side for the trip to Harefield.

They replace the unavailable Chris Eaton and Josh Smith.

TOMORROW’S LINE-UPS

Banbury (v Harpenden, home): from L Sabin, Cheshire, Haupt, Shahbaz Ali, Tew, West, Shaw, Blanchard, Hawtin (capt), Smith, J Phillips, Wright.

Oxford (v Welwyn Garden City, away): from Harrison (capt), Barrett, Laudat, King, Sandbach, Ferraby, Perkin, Crosby, Hole, Mendis, I Evans, Sutherland, Arif.

Aston Rowant (v Harefield, away): Morrick (capt), Watling, Morgan, Lyon, Tolson, Cook, Cooper, Leaney, Penhale, Needham, Watkins.

Horspath (v Gerrards Cross, away): O’Connor, R Eason, Phillips, Hutchison, Mohammed, Krol (capt), Wynd, W Eason, Skelton, Rana, Jeacock.

Thame Tn (v Reading, home): Neilson, Beardall, P Patel, Bhatti, Parmar, Lachlan (capt), Sutcliffe, Goggs, S Patel, Desai, Rooney.