CHIRK’S Shropshire League Division Two title hopes rely on favours from elsewhere - but Andrew Swarbrick wants his side to maintain focus on their own performances.

The Wrexham-based outfit dismantled Montgomery by nine wickets inside 38 overs last weekend to remain 43 points adrift of leaders Wellington Seconds.

Montgomery now face Wellington Seconds this weekend, but Swarbrick insists that Chirk’s only focus is on beating St Georges Seconds, not the fate of their title rivals.

“I’m a big believer in it’s up to us to do what we can do,” said Swarbrick. “We are the only ones who can mess things up and it’s important that we don’t care about what’s gone on elsewhere until we’ve won our game.”

Having skittled Montgomery for 47, Swarbrick, who claimed remarkable figures of 7-3 from 8.3 overs, is not expecting Wellington to have too many problems in claiming victory.

Asked whether he’d spoken to Montgomery’s players at the end of their match, which had finished by 3.30pm, about beating Wellington, Swarbrick replied: “No. They said they had a few players missing though, including their captain.

“We just spoke about our game and they said that we’d bowled ridiculously well.”

Swarbrick pocketed 5-1 last time out against St Georges Seconds, who were skittled for 31 as Chirk claimed a convincing 179-run home success.

The left-arm quick is going into that match on the back of an even better spell of seam bowling six days ago, although he remains modest about his work.

“I bowled alright,” said Swarbrick. “It’s always nice to get wickets, but Frank (MacDonald-Brown) and Wynn (Jones) deserved them more, they were class.”

MacDonald-Brown, Chris Martin and Gareth Partridge miss out for Chirk, who are eager to avoid calling up second XI players with Ian Skinner’s men, who host Much Wenlock Seconds tomorrow, still in the Division Eight title hunt.

Northop Hall, meanwhile, have the chance to throw a spanner in the works of Wigan’s Liverpool Competition Division One title challenge as the duo meet at Smith Lane tomorrow. Hall Seconds head to Leigh Seconds.