DANIEL Leese will be looking to continue a great winning record for Basingstoke and North Hants when he comes into the line-up for tomorrow's crucial game at Finch-ampstead.

He will open the batting alongside captain Lee Nurse and make his first appearance in the Home Counties League since July 2000.

That was one of three appearances that season for Basingstoke and on each occasion he was on the winning side.

Leese replaces the unavailable Ian Maynard in a side that broke their winning duck on Saturday with a 19-run victory at Radlett.

Tomorrow's game at bottom club Finchampstead is just as important as the visitors look to move away from the lower reaches of the table.

This time last season, Finch-ampstead led the table on their way to the Home Counties crown but last season's top run-scorer and joint top wicket-taker, Australian Jon Moss is no longer in their line-up and the Berkshire side have lost all their four games played to a conclusion this season.

Nurse said: "Like us, Finch-ampstead have had a bad start to the season and so this is already a crunch match for both of us. We now have to look to build on our victory against Radlett and keep on winning."

Last season at Finchampstead, Basingstoke lost by 23 runs as Moss scored 134 and took 4-40.

However, the year before, at the same venue, it was Basingstoke who were the victors by 20 runs as Jon Govett and Chris Chandler took three wickets each.

The pair showed they were in good form at Radlett, taking four wickets each and the same performance would not go a miss tomorrow.

On Sunday, not a ball was bowled at Havant in the third round of the National Cup game and this tie has now be re-arranged for next Thursday.

Basingstoke, who were without second, fourth and fifth team games last Saturday because of rain, started a tricky weekend yesterday with a first defence of the Bertie Joel Cup they won last season with a tie at Langleybury, near Watford.

Read about their progress in Monday's Gazette.