HORNSEY and Highgate could both be promoted from Division Three this weekend after maintaining their places in the top two with wins on Saturday. Hornsey beat Bessborough by seven wickets, dismissing their visitors for 150 and then reaching 154-3. And, m

HORNSEY and Highgate could both be promoted from Division Three this weekend after maintaining their

places in the top two with wins on Saturday.

Hornsey beat Bessborough by seven wickets, dismissing their visitors for 150 and then reaching 154-3.

And, meanwhile, Highgate kept their noses ahead of the chasing pack with a four-wicket victory at Ickenham, successfully chasing down a challenging target of 227.

Chetan Patel's Hornsey visit struggling Indian Gymkhana this weekend - a side who have taken just two points from a possible 70 - and the pacesetters then host already-relegated basement boys Barnet Boys on the final day of the campaign.

A win in either game will see the Crouch End outfit rubber-stamp their passage to Division Two, and the champagne is on ice after Saturday's home win over Bessborough at Tivoli Road.

Paul Weekes (4-59) and Bhasker Patel (4-43) were the chief architects in the visitors' demise as Hornsey's guests were dismissed for 150.

And the hosts lost just three wickets in their successful chase, with Weekes notching an unbeaten 42 alongside skipper Chetan Patel (48 not out) in a match-winning partnership.

Patel lost the toss but got his wish anyway as Bessborough surprisingly opted to bat first, and that decision immediately backfired as the visitors lost both of their openers.

Joel Gregory (1-23) trapped Daniel Hawes lbw and Martin Tucker (1-15) had Wayne Whitson caught behind by wicketkeeper Alex Scrini, leaving them 3-2.

Urooj Ahmed (44) and Sherrick Chavda (35) stabilised the innings, adding 76 for the third wicket, but Weekes eventually ended the stand, snaring Chavda leg before.

Weekes and Bhasker Patel finished the innings with four wickets apiece as Bessborough were dismissed for 150, but the visitors had managed to bat for 53.1 overs, leaving Hornsey with 47 overs to reach their target.

The reply began badly as opener Garfield Struthers was caught for a duck, but Deepesh Makwana and Brody Fulton took the hosts up to 61-2, when Fulton (16) was stumped by Whitson.

That immediately became 61-3 as Makwana (33) followed his team-mate back to the pavilion, trapped lbw by Gary Linton (1-35).

However, that brought the experienced heads of Weekes and Chetan Patel to the crease and together the long-term friends and team-mates knocked off the remaining runs, finishing unbeaten as Hornsey reached 154-3 with two and a half overs to spare.

Meanwhile, Syed Karrar was the hero for Highgate on Saturday, with the spinner taking six wickets to keep his side on course for promotion.

Highgate skipper Craig Gourlay won the toss, but hosts Ickenham still posted a challenging 226 off 54.3 overs.

However, it proved not to be enough as the visiting batsmen chased down their target in 41 overs, reaching 227 with only six wickets down.

Highgate sit second in Division Three with two games to play. Like Hornsey, they could be promoted on Saturday, although it is less likely.

Gourlay's side travel to face Uxbridge, and they will only secure an early passage to Division Two if they win, and Barnes and Wembley both fail to match that victory.

Highgate's promotion bid could well come down to the last game of the season, when they host Bessborough.