Pat Bates today prepared for another battle of the big men and admitted: "They are all important games for us now."

The 6ft 9in centre will be a pivotal player as Barker Worthing Thunder host Essex and Herts Leopards in EBL division one action (8pm).

Both teams will consider themselves title contenders in what is looking a more competitive division with every passing week and each setback which befalls long-time favourites Reading.

The battle between Bates and another former Brighton Bears powerhouse Errol Seaman could be one to savour in front of what should be a decent crowd at Durrington.

Bates, 24, and Seaman are the Brits in a front court tussle which also involves Americans Jon Woods for Thunder and Troy Selvey for Leopards.

It is a confrontation Bates is relishing.

He said: "Errol is probably the strongest bloke in the league. He can rebound, he can shot, he can defend. He's a really good player.

"Troy Selvey went to a good university in America and has got solid moves and they have got good shooters too, like Sammy Salter.

"We're going well though and playing at home gives us a big advantage.

"Leopards is a tough place to play with the rims and stuff there.

"Reading have lost a couple recently and talent-wise the league is very close.

"The story of our season so far has been that we play to the opponents' level so every game is close."

Bates does not include last week's opponents, Rob Birchmore's Kingston Wildcats, as also-rans in the division.

Birchmore this week revealed his conviction that Kingston will make the play-offs, helped by new American three-point hotshot Michael Williamson.

Bates, who fouled out with a modest 11 points and five rebounds as Wildcats were edged out 100-93, said: "Kingston have got talent but they seemed to be troubled by injuries."

Selvey is second and Seaman fourth in the division one rebounding lists with 12.4 and 10.2 respectively while Bates' 9.6 boards per game put him sixth.

Bates, though, leads the league in blocks with 2.38, closely followed by Woods on 2.25.

Throw in a regular supply of double-doubles and the man known at Thunder as East Worthing's Finest is happy to be combining second-tier basketball with a job at Worthing Hospital.

He said: "I love it. All the team are good lads and winning helps."

Meanwhile, Richard Midgley led California Golden Bears with 16 points as they beat Oregon State 69-52 to continue their creditable Pac-10 Conference campaign.

The senior guard from Burgess Hill went six-of-eight from the field, including three-of-three behind the arc, to help silence 6,000 fans in Corvallis, Oregon.

It was Midgley's second double-digit scoring effort in five days having previously failed to reach that mark for three weeks.

He also had 15 points in a tense 55-53 defeat of Washington State but it was defensive work on Josh Akognon which earned praise from Ben Braun.

Cal coach Braun said: "We need to give credit to Richard.

"He single handedly took Josh, a really good player, out of the game."

Akognon, averaging 14.2 points per game for the Conference campaign, had just four this time while Midgley went six-of-11 from the floor, including three-of-seven from three-point land, before 8,500 fans at Cal's Haas Pavilion.

Cal and Stanford are both 7-3 in the standings, just behind leaders UCLA (8-2).

In division two action, Littlehampton's Andy Smith had four points to help Bentley beat Southern Connecticut 61-50