Hornchurch face two crucial matches against rivals on Saturday and Sunday

Hornchurch captain Roy Smith is relishing the two clashes his team have this weekend as they continue their pursuit of silverware.

The first challenge will to beat Essex League Division One title rivals Southend-at Southchurch Park tomorrow (Saturday) before Hornchurch travel to Premier Division leaders Wanstead the next day for a last-eight tie in the Dukes Essex T20 cup.

Smith is confident his team can earn two crucial wins and said: “We are really looking forward to the two matches.

“These weekends are what it is all about and what we want to be part of. Southend away is first and then the T20 on Sunday.

“Wanstead lost last weekend to Chelmsford so we are confident. We know they are beatable because we have done it once already this season in the National Cup, so we are extremely confident ahead of Sunday’s match.”

But the first focus for Division One leaders Hornchurch will be defeating Southend.

The mood of the two teams will be hugely contrasting, though, with Smith’s men on a run of seven consecutive league victories, while Southend have hit a sticky patch and lost their last two.

Hornchurch’s captain doesn’t actually think they will remain a title rival for much longer either.

“Southend have struggled over the past few weeks and I think it was a surprise to see them up at the top anyway,” added Smith.

“I don’t want to take any credit away from them because they won five or six games in a row, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they do fall away a bit now.

“You have a lot of good sides in this division, like Shenfield and Woodford Wells, so I expect they will be challenging.

“The next two weeks are important for us with Southend and then Shenfield on July 11. They’re second and third so we have big games coming up and if we can win both I think we will have one foot back in the Premier Division.”

Hornchurch continued their fine run of form with a stunning 222-run triumph against Hutton last week.

Billy Gordon smashed 112, while Smith (50), Paul Walter (73) and Max Osborne (51) pushed the hosts up to 392-9 from their 50 overs.

Hutton’s dangerman Hanuma Vihari went relatively cheaply as well, with Osborne (2-38) getting him three short of his fifty.

Gordon and Chamikara Mudalige also helped themselves to two wickets each, before Taqi Abbas (4-39) finished the job.