PRESTWICK skipper Shahzad Rafiq claims his side are under no pressure, despite closing in on a first Western Premier title.

The Ayrshire side took another step on the glory trail with an emphatic victory over Poloc at The Henry Thow Oval on Saturday and are tantalisingly close to completing an odds-defying success.

However, with four games remaining including a derby at Ayr on Saturday, Rafiq knows there are still hurdles to be negotiated.

He said: “I know people are saying the title is ours to lose but we honestly don’t feel any extra pressure.

“Nobody would have had us in this position at the start of the season so in a way we have already over-achieved.

“In any case there are still at least four teams who have a chance of winning the league so maybe they’ll be feeling the pressure.

“We are just determined to keep being positive and keep enjoying our cricket.”

Positivity was the name-of-the-game as Prestwick dominated from the start, Rafiq and opening partner Fazal Jawad leading the way by rattling up 71 runs from the first ten overs.

Rafiq was first to go for a hard-hitting 41 while Jawad went on to make 63 before Sachin Chaudary top-scored with 81 while Humza Sabri took four wickets.

These contributions allowed the home side to post a formidable 245 though Rafiq reckoned the total could have been higher.

It proved more than enough as two early wickets from Gavin Pitt put Poloc on the back foot where they remained as the home side continued to chip away.

Ross Patterson was the most successful bowler with 3-18 while Jurie Snyman was stranded on 42no as Poloc were dismissed for just 80.

Rafiq added: “To be honest I was a bit disappointed with our last ten overs with the bat because we were probably about 30 runs light on where we should have been if we’d been looking at a complete performance.

“But we were good in the field and it helped that we got 50 overs at Uddingston the week before even although the game wasn’t completed because that helped us keep our rhythm.

“Now we can look forward to the derby.”

Ayr will also go into Saturday’s potentially pivotal clash in good spirits after overcoming a stubborn Greenock outfit at Cambusdoon.

Matt Crawshaw upstaged Ayr’s prolific opening duo of Michael Papps and Neil Smith with 75no as the home side posted 237-9 before Greenock fell just six runs short of a revised target of 171 from 34.4 overs, teenager Harry Briggs hitting 55.

Ayr skipper Andi McElnea said: “Matthew played a superb innings under pressure and that was the difference. We’re going to have to keep rising to the situations we are put in over the coming weeks.”

Uddingston, also DLS winners by six runs, remain in the title hunt after surely ending Clydesdale’s reign as champions at Titwood.

Veteran all-rounder Paul Hoffmann hit a crucial half-century as the Bothwell side clawed their way to 238 before Adil Raza’s 3-24 stifled Dale’s run-chase.

Kelburne’s clash with Dumfries fell to the weather after just a few overs while the match between East Kilbride and Ferguslie never started.