 Dan Conway back for Bournemouth |  Charlie Ayres new Andover signing [Roy Honeybone] |
BOURNEMOUTH skipper Chris Park believes it is time for his side to start cashing in on fine batting surfaces at home this season.
Unbeaten on their travels, Lions, who host promotion rivals Calmore Sports (12.30pm), have endured mixed fortunes at their Chapel Gate headquarters with two defeats from four games.
Despite convincing victories over Andover and Ventnor, Bournemouth have been edged out in contests against Liphook & Ripsley and Sarisbury Athletic, writes the Bournemouth Daily Echo’s Dan Rose.
Liphook’s Harry Munt struck 93 from 84 deliveries last month to put Lions to the sword, while Sarisbury opener Ricky Rawlins carried his bat with unbeaten 95 to heap home misery on Park’s men.
And while he admitted good batting pitches could nullify his side’s threat, the wicketkeeper-batsman is eager for his own charges to cash in.
He told the Daily Echo: “With the dry weather about at the moment the pitches are excellent for batting at Bournemouth – maybe that does counteract our spin bowling and perhaps our fast bowling.
“But it’s the same for both sides. Because we play on a very good, batting-friendly pitch, it should mean our batsmen make hay as well.
“The two games we have lost this season have been because of two very good individual performances.
“Playing at home, it would be nice to put in a good performance.”
Defending champions Calmore are joint-second with Sarisbury behind leaders Bournemouth at present. They have won five of their opening eight fixtures with one being washed out.
“They are a strong side with a lot of experience in Division One. I was deeply disappointed that they weren’t allowed to get promoted last year,” added Park.
“They were the best side in the league and deserved to go up but regulations and rules meant they couldn’t. They have started well again and it will be a good test of where we are at."
Bournemouth are set to make two changes with Dan Conway and Tom West returning in place of Martin Miller and George Wilson.
Bournemouth: C Park, West, N Park, Webb, Denham, Woodruff, Hurley, Pack, Clutterbuck, Kidner, Conway.
Calmore Sports: Lavelle, Donovan, Johns, Manning, Taylor, Perry, Vann, Rose, West, Wright, Ducellier.
Sarisbury Athletic, who share second place with Calmore, host Old Tauntonians & Romsey at Allotment Road. Opening bowler Jake Folkestone returns for OTR.
Sarisbury Athletic: Rawlins, Floyd, Clouting, Mills, Nightingale, J Hill, Ireland, Wright, Sanders, S Hill, Jewell.
OTs & Romsey: Wathen, Mitchell-Lee, Vaughan, Tulk, Newman, Tognarelli, Brown, Trodd, Mogg, Folkestone, Bampton.
Andover will have spin all-rounder Charlie Ayres in their side against off-colour Hook & Newnham Basics at London Road – provided his transfer from St Cross Symondians goes through in time.
Ayres is set to replace the hobbling Ali Hooper, with Luke Graham also back after hamstring trouble. Sean Brewer missed out for Basics, who have lost three of their last four matches.
Andover: Andover: Hooper M, Hart, Arnold, Duckworth, Treagus, Ayers, Andrews, Knight, Adams, Graham, Jansen.
In the other SPL1 matches, Village Cup hopefuls Liphook & Ripsley receive Portsmouth, with winless Hartley Wintney making the long haul to Ventnor, a trip that begins at 6.45am, long before the milkman delivers the pints in the sleepy North Hampshire village.
“This is the last game of the first half of the season and we still feel as a group there is a lot of cricket and we can get the wins we need to move up the table,” said vice-captain Will Kerr, whose side has yet to get off the mark.
Skipper Rhys Batcup, all-rounder Scott Baldwin and teenage Australian pace bowler Ben Earney are due back for Hartley Wintney.
Unbeaten on their travels, Lions, who host promotion rivals Calmore Sports (12.30pm), have endured mixed fortunes at their Chapel Gate headquarters with two defeats from four games.
Despite convincing victories over Andover and Ventnor, Bournemouth have been edged out in contests against Liphook & Ripsley and Sarisbury Athletic, writes the Bournemouth Daily Echo’s Dan Rose.
Liphook’s Harry Munt struck 93 from 84 deliveries last month to put Lions to the sword, while Sarisbury opener Ricky Rawlins carried his bat with unbeaten 95 to heap home misery on Park’s men.
And while he admitted good batting pitches could nullify his side’s threat, the wicketkeeper-batsman is eager for his own charges to cash in.
He told the Daily Echo: “With the dry weather about at the moment the pitches are excellent for batting at Bournemouth – maybe that does counteract our spin bowling and perhaps our fast bowling.
“But it’s the same for both sides. Because we play on a very good, batting-friendly pitch, it should mean our batsmen make hay as well.
“The two games we have lost this season have been because of two very good individual performances.
“Playing at home, it would be nice to put in a good performance.”
Defending champions Calmore are joint-second with Sarisbury behind leaders Bournemouth at present. They have won five of their opening eight fixtures with one being washed out.
“They are a strong side with a lot of experience in Division One. I was deeply disappointed that they weren’t allowed to get promoted last year,” added Park.
“They were the best side in the league and deserved to go up but regulations and rules meant they couldn’t. They have started well again and it will be a good test of where we are at."
Bournemouth are set to make two changes with Dan Conway and Tom West returning in place of Martin Miller and George Wilson.
Bournemouth: C Park, West, N Park, Webb, Denham, Woodruff, Hurley, Pack, Clutterbuck, Kidner, Conway.
Calmore Sports: Lavelle, Donovan, Johns, Manning, Taylor, Perry, Vann, Rose, West, Wright, Ducellier.
Sarisbury Athletic, who share second place with Calmore, host Old Tauntonians & Romsey at Allotment Road. Opening bowler Jake Folkestone returns for OTR.
Sarisbury Athletic: Rawlins, Floyd, Clouting, Mills, Nightingale, J Hill, Ireland, Wright, Sanders, S Hill, Jewell.
OTs & Romsey: Wathen, Mitchell-Lee, Vaughan, Tulk, Newman, Tognarelli, Brown, Trodd, Mogg, Folkestone, Bampton.
Andover will have spin all-rounder Charlie Ayres in their side against off-colour Hook & Newnham Basics at London Road – provided his transfer from St Cross Symondians goes through in time.
Ayres is set to replace the hobbling Ali Hooper, with Luke Graham also back after hamstring trouble. Sean Brewer missed out for Basics, who have lost three of their last four matches.
Andover: Andover: Hooper M, Hart, Arnold, Duckworth, Treagus, Ayers, Andrews, Knight, Adams, Graham, Jansen.
In the other SPL1 matches, Village Cup hopefuls Liphook & Ripsley receive Portsmouth, with winless Hartley Wintney making the long haul to Ventnor, a trip that begins at 6.45am, long before the milkman delivers the pints in the sleepy North Hampshire village.
“This is the last game of the first half of the season and we still feel as a group there is a lot of cricket and we can get the wins we need to move up the table,” said vice-captain Will Kerr, whose side has yet to get off the mark.
Skipper Rhys Batcup, all-rounder Scott Baldwin and teenage Australian pace bowler Ben Earney are due back for Hartley Wintney.
