SKIPPER Ryan Beck wants New Milton to focus on their own game against Sarisbury Athletic tomorrow – despite the prospect of a backlash from the title chasers.

Reigning champions Athletic were knocked off their SEPL Division One perch this week after receiving a 10-point penalty for captain Dave Banks’s dissent in the recent match with Liphook & Ripsley, writes Mike Vimpany. Officials also handed Banks a five-match ban – which begins against Milton this weekend – the second highest individual punishment dished out by the Southern League, following an eight-match ban for Havant’s Ben Walker two seasons ago. The sanction leaves Sarisbury, defeated just once this season, narrowly behind Burridge at the top of the standings.

And, while Beck fully expects his side to face a wounded animal, the Fernhill captain does not want his charges distracted by Sarisbury’s determination to settle a score. Asked whether he expected Sarisbury to be fired up by their punishment, Beck said: “You’d think so, but we’re just going out there to enjoy our cricket and I don’t want us worrying about what other teams are doing. “We’ve got to concentrate on ourselves and we’re looking at consolidation now. It would be nice to finish as high as we can, hopefully in the top three, so we can look at going up next season.

“Dave (Banks) is a great player and a great captain and we have never experienced a problem with him. But, there is more than one man in the Sarisbury team and, while I am sure they will miss his presence, they are not near the top and title holders for nothing. Beck received a timely boost on the injury front this week with the news that his brother, Lee, should return to action next weekend. Initial fears that Lee had broken his finger in the recent eight-wicket thrashing of Lymington in the President’s Cup final proved unfounded with the all-rounder only suffering a dislocation.

New Milton: N Park, House, J Park, Edwards, R Beck, Loader, Elliott, T Prodomo, G Watts, Staniford, Waller.

l Division 1 Burridge must put Wednesday’s Southern Electric t20 Cup final defeat by South Wilts to the backs of their minds.

That’s the message from skipper Rick Ankers on the eve of tomorrow’s visit to Hartley Wintney, where Burridge defend an eight-point lead over neighbours Sarisbury Athletic.

“The lads should feel proud of what they’ve achieved this season. We lost to a very good South Wilts side in the cup final.

“Now we must move on and make the championship our goal for the remainder of the season.

“We’ve got everything in place to get promoted, so let’s go for it,” Ankers said.

Hartley Wintney have propped up the table season long but can be dangerous if they bat first and post a big score.

Sarisbury Athletic, in second place, visit New Milton.

Andover are becoming increasingly desperate, but need to put some runs on the board against Fawley at London Road.

Andover: J Hadfield, R Hadfield, G Dawson, S Summers, M Roberts, J Knight, M Knight, M Adams, L Graham, D Foy, h Blackburn.

Fawley: Paul Marks, Tom Gates, Mark Thorne, Blake Anderson, Callum Earl, Kieran Earl, Wayne Royan, Andy McElhenny, Scott Rogers, Wayne Smith, Joe Locke.

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