ARBROATH captain Marc Petrie has laughed off the popular belief that today's Lochlands meeting with Grange will be a title-deciding showdown.

By humbling Carlton, Petrie and Co earned the tag as chief-chasers, snapping at the heels of the men from Raeburn Place.

But cricket realist Petrie insisted this weekend's tussle merely represented a small chapter in a big book.

He declared: "I have heard this 'decider' chat a few times over the past few days, but as far as we're concerned there are far too many games left for it to be labelling it as that.

"We have been preparing in the same way and our mentality will be the same as it has been in all our previous games during the campaign.

"We showed our fight and heart in last week's win against Carlton after recovering from 80 for seven.

"We were also under the cosh when Carlton were 80 for one.

"I think that performance showed the depth we have in our squad and a lot of credit must go to Bryce Carnegie for the way he performed with the bat in a partnership with me.

"He played his natural game, attacking the bowlers and played some excellent shots.

"Grange will no doubt be tough opposition and as they will be looking to pull away from the rest of the teams, but if we perform like we know we can with guys like Ross McLean, Craig Ramsay and Fraser Burnett all in great form, we know we will be very hard to beat.

"I'm sure there will be a good crowd at Lochlands in what's sure to be an exciting contest."

Arbroath welcome back Elton Willemse in place of Blair Carnegie who drops to the seconds as part of the squad rotation policy for the younger players.

Champions Aberdeenshire will need something of a miracle to retain their mantle, particularly after last week's defeat by Falkland on home turf.

They won't have it any easier today at Broughty Ferry, where Forfarshire's Ryan Watson is aiming for a third century on the trot.

Falkland, who followed up by earning a place in the advanced rounds of the British Village Cup, should be too strong for struggling Watsonians at Scroggie Park.

Carlton ought to get back on tracks in the capital derby with RH Corstorphine at Inverleith, while Stoneywood-Dyce v Heriot's is a hard one to call.