WE'RE not giving up - that is the message from Jer Lane's high-scoring batsman Jason Slator prior to tomorrow's trip to Blackley in Division One.

A game which looked likely to be a title decider has lost some of its spice after the events of last Saturday when the gap between the pair grew to 12 points with just two rounds of fixtures left in the middle section.

Although Jer Lane clinched promotion by picking up five points in a surprise defeat at home to King Cross, Blackley took a giant step towards taking the silverware by collecting the maximum 10 points in a brisk seven-wicket win at Low Moor.

Slator said: "If we'd have got nine points last week, which we should have done, things would have been much closer.

"We are not writing off our title hopes but we probably need a 10-2 win. Blackley have got a few players off and that might give us an edge. Then it would be up to King Cross (Blackley's final day opponents).

"We are certainly not giving up but Blackley have beaten us twice and they deserve to win it."

David Townsend's side have certainly been more consistent than Lane in 2008 but Slator said a second successive promotion would still represent a great season's work for his team.

"When we came into the Halifax League our plan was to get to the Premier in five years and we have done it after three.

"The first season was a bit of an eye-opener for us but the club has moved on really well since then."

The captures of star all-rounder Johnny Lister and wicketkeeper Graham Sivyer from Buttershaw St Pauls has helped Lane take another step up the ladder this year and they have become the highest placed former Bradford Central League team in the league.

The side captained by James Nixon, who was returning from holiday yesterday, have a pretty good idea of what to expect in the top flight thanks to their run to the quarter-finals of the Parish Cup this summer.

They went out to eventual winners Triangle having previously beaten the only two sides currently above Roger Smith's line-up in the Premier Division, Booth and Warley.

Slator said: "We know we probably need a couple more bowlers for next year - we are certainly a good spinner short and most of the teams in the top division seem to have one.

"But it is super to be in the Halifax League and playing good cricket every week."

Queensbury are already relegated from Division One and either Oxenhope, Thornton or Luddenden Foot are the most likely to join them in making the drop.

Oxenhope have the fewest points of that trio but finish with home games against Foot tomorrow and Thornton in eight days' time.