RICHARD Bradley admits Astwood Bank are the last major hurdle between Stourbridge and the Worcester League crown.

Stour can virtually ensure the title if they beat second placed Bank this Saturday and have an outside chance of clinching it mathematically if other results go their way.

Even with defeat or a losing draw they would still remain overwhelming favourites but Bradley is keen for them to finish things off as soon as possible.

He said: “This is probably the last big game and if we win this we will almost certainly win the league.

“The only thing I will tell the players is to go out there with the aim of winning the game which is the same attitude we have had all season.

“Of course we may change our tactics during the game as we know even with a losing draw we would still have a very large buffer.

“It won’t be easy as Astwood Bank are a very good team and in Steve Adshead they have one of the best league cricketers around.”

Stour ended the hopes of another rival last weekend with a 35 run win at Worcester Nomads.

Batting first, they were again below par and made only 161 from 42.4overs, with Audy Alexander the standout on an unremarkable card with 35.

But the way Bradley’s team have bowled this year, such a moderate total may as well be more than 300 and Alex Bingham’s first over run out of Guy Davies set the tone of things to come, as Nomads were skittled for just 126.

Bradley added: “We were a feeling a bit deflated after scoring just 161 but we had a quick chat about things in the dressing room.

“I think we needed to realise we were top of the league, with a chance of 24 points if we bowled them out and we would certainly have taken this position at the start of the season.

“In the end it was a fantastic win.”

Victory over Astwood Bank be just one of two celebrations this weekend, as the club prepare to mark the 25th anniversary of winning the National Knockout.

Stour beat Weston Super-Mare by four wickets at Lords with a side which included future Worcestershire players such as Stuart Lampitt, Gavin Haynes and David Banks.

This Sunday the old team will take on the current Stour first XI at the War Memorial.