SPCL 1 - Guard against complacency is BAT's key

BAT Sports must guard against complacency when they face ECB Southern Electric Premier League strugglers Liphook & Ripsley at Southern Gardens tomorrow, 11am.

It's effectively a top versus bottom encounter, with BAT anxious to keep Havant within their sights in the championship race and second-from-bottom Liphook equally eager to pull away from the bottom.

"It's paramount we go into the game with the right attitude," says BAT skipper Dave Banks, whose second-placed side have strung together a remarkable sequence of 12 successive all-day `time' wins.

"We beat Liphook easily on the opening day of the season, but they won't want to lose and showed against Portsmouth last week they they don't buckle easily.

"In any case, we want to go into next week's match at Havant - a potential title decider - with 13 straight wins under our belts," he stressed.

BAT are without Chris Thomason against Liphook, whereas title rivals Havant could be without key all-rounders Malcolm Hobson and Bevis Moynan for the awkward derby match with Portsmouth at St Helen's.

"They ran us very close on the opening day of the season," recalls Havant captain Dominic Carson.

"To beat Havant would be a real feather in Portsmouth's cap - and it's essential we don't let it happen, particularly at St Helen's."

Third-placed Andover, whose win at Bashley (Rydal) last week rekindled fading title aspirations, entertain South Wilts at London Road.

The availability of Jerry Hayward and Mark Miller is in doubt for Andover, but South Wilts, though being without left-arm strike bowler James Tomlinson, have Dorset's Tim Lamb back to bolster a strong-looking batting line up.

Russell Rowe is anxious to bounce back to form after slipping behind BAT's Damian Shirazi in the Premier League run scoring charts.

Rowe, who has been out of nick recently, has scored 352 runs, compared with Shirazi's 399 haul for BAT, the defending champions.

The back problem that affected Matt Swarbrick during Dorset's recent Minor Counties Championship defeat by Cornwall could rule the Bournemouth skipper out of the ECB Premier Division match with lowly Burridge at Chapel Gate, 11am.

"I was in a tremendous amount of pain last weekend and batted down the order in our second innings," Swarbrick explained. "I really do not know whether my back will stand up to 120-odd overs tomorrow."

If Swarbrick does miss the game, then Martin Miller will skipper the side, with either Andy Bell or Morgan Parkin promoted from Bournemouth promotion chasing Hampshire League side.

Tom Webley is set to return from Somerset commitments against a Burridge side that lies bottom of the table, after just win (against Portsmouth) in six matches.

Weakened Burridge, without influential opening batsman Neil Cunningham (injured ankle), could be pressed to provide fourth-placed Bournemouth with their first `time' game win this season.

Chris Sketchley and Andy Neal return to a full strength Bashley (Rydal) side against off-colour Calmore Sports at the Bashley Cricket Ground, 11am. The two teams occupy seventh and eighth spots in the Premier 1 table, respectively, and are both in need of a win.

Richard Knowles, who hit an unbeaten century in last week's defeat by Andover, will be expected to continue his good form. But both Neil Thurgood and Luke Ronchi are due a big score.