The struggle for ECB Southern Premier Division survival focusses on two grounds roughly 25 miles apart just off the M3 tomorrow.
Hook & Newnham Basics host Bournemouth at the KGV, and bottom of the table Alton go to the Green Jackets to face second placed St Cross Symondians, both 11.30 starts.
On the strength of winning their last two matches, Hook enjoy the comfort of a seven-point cushion over Alton – a position they could enhance against an off-colour Bournemouth who have only a win over the Hampshire Academy to show from their last six outings.
Hook have named a full strength team, while Sam Collins, with an unbeaten 88 against Longparish last week, and fit-again Tom Robinson are knocking hard on Chris Park’s door for a Lions recall.
Hook & Newnham Basics: J Buckingham, Lockwood, Thane, M Buckingham, Robson, Moore, Willcock, Murrell, Divecha, Balcombe, Simpson.
Fletcha Middleton, who made his Hampshire debut in Thursday’s crushing nine-wicket defeat by Durham, will bolster Alton’s batting armoury against St Cross, who also have Felix Organ back after top scoring with a career-best 79 at the Emirates.
Beaten by South Wilts last week, St Cross are effectively 31 points adrift of leaders South Wilts, who host Lymington at Bemerton.
St Cross Symondians: Foyle, Ellis, Organ, Bransgrove, Lewis, Haworth, Whitlock, Booth, Beetham, Woolvine, Trussler.
Alton: Gonella, South, Middleton, Harris, Myers, Wright, Eggleston, Heffernan, Paul, Walters, Ballinger
Leading wicket taker Matty Burton returns to spearhead the South Wilts attack against Lymington at Wilton Road, but skipper Matt Metcalfe is a significant absentee for the visitors.
South Wilts: Morton, Mynott, Rowe, Hayward, Draper, Hussey, Godsal, Huntley, Warner, Grant, Burton.
Lymington: Crabb, Rogers, Scott, Du Plooy, Cox, Royan, Mortimore, Proctor, Tollerfield, Drodge, Inglis.
Hampshire Academy and Bashley (Rydal), the sides jousting for a probably third place finish, go head to head at the Ageas Bowl Nursery Ground, where Toby Albert captains the Young Hawks.
Dom Kelly expects to return after missing the recent ECB Bunbury Festival with a broken bone in his hand, while leg spinner Kamran Khanna and left-arm seamer Finn Catherwood both take a breather ahead of a sustained coming weekend of T20 and Under-18 county cricket.
Academy: Albert, Mumford, Jackson, Broderick, Eckland, Kelly, Barker, Petrie, Prichard, Croom, Gadsby.
Havant host Burridge in the other Premier Division match, with former Bedhampton seamer Alex Gardner set for his league debut.
Havant: Ben Walker, Pete Hopson, Chris Morgan, Harry Gadd, Simon Loat, Jez Bulled, Charlie Whitfield, Freddie Gadd, Alf Taw, Richard Jerry, Alex Gardner.
* Burridge play the Lashings World XI in a T20 Challenge next Friday afternoon.
Hook & Newnham Basics host Bournemouth at the KGV, and bottom of the table Alton go to the Green Jackets to face second placed St Cross Symondians, both 11.30 starts.
On the strength of winning their last two matches, Hook enjoy the comfort of a seven-point cushion over Alton – a position they could enhance against an off-colour Bournemouth who have only a win over the Hampshire Academy to show from their last six outings.
Hook have named a full strength team, while Sam Collins, with an unbeaten 88 against Longparish last week, and fit-again Tom Robinson are knocking hard on Chris Park’s door for a Lions recall.
Hook & Newnham Basics: J Buckingham, Lockwood, Thane, M Buckingham, Robson, Moore, Willcock, Murrell, Divecha, Balcombe, Simpson.
Fletcha Middleton, who made his Hampshire debut in Thursday’s crushing nine-wicket defeat by Durham, will bolster Alton’s batting armoury against St Cross, who also have Felix Organ back after top scoring with a career-best 79 at the Emirates.
Beaten by South Wilts last week, St Cross are effectively 31 points adrift of leaders South Wilts, who host Lymington at Bemerton.
St Cross Symondians: Foyle, Ellis, Organ, Bransgrove, Lewis, Haworth, Whitlock, Booth, Beetham, Woolvine, Trussler.
Alton: Gonella, South, Middleton, Harris, Myers, Wright, Eggleston, Heffernan, Paul, Walters, Ballinger
Leading wicket taker Matty Burton returns to spearhead the South Wilts attack against Lymington at Wilton Road, but skipper Matt Metcalfe is a significant absentee for the visitors.
South Wilts: Morton, Mynott, Rowe, Hayward, Draper, Hussey, Godsal, Huntley, Warner, Grant, Burton.
Lymington: Crabb, Rogers, Scott, Du Plooy, Cox, Royan, Mortimore, Proctor, Tollerfield, Drodge, Inglis.
Hampshire Academy and Bashley (Rydal), the sides jousting for a probably third place finish, go head to head at the Ageas Bowl Nursery Ground, where Toby Albert captains the Young Hawks.
Dom Kelly expects to return after missing the recent ECB Bunbury Festival with a broken bone in his hand, while leg spinner Kamran Khanna and left-arm seamer Finn Catherwood both take a breather ahead of a sustained coming weekend of T20 and Under-18 county cricket.
Academy: Albert, Mumford, Jackson, Broderick, Eckland, Kelly, Barker, Petrie, Prichard, Croom, Gadsby.
Havant host Burridge in the other Premier Division match, with former Bedhampton seamer Alex Gardner set for his league debut.
Havant: Ben Walker, Pete Hopson, Chris Morgan, Harry Gadd, Simon Loat, Jez Bulled, Charlie Whitfield, Freddie Gadd, Alf Taw, Richard Jerry, Alex Gardner.
* Burridge play the Lashings World XI in a T20 Challenge next Friday afternoon.