Defending champions South Wilts bounced back to form – and winning ways – against St Cross Symondians last week – but skipper James Hayward acknowledges that Alton’s visit on Bemerton’s Vice-President’s Day will be difficult.

“They always give us a tough game and have beaten us a few times before, so there won’t be any relaxing on our part,” he said.

“Alton suffered a heavy defeat to Havant in the league last Saturday, but bounced back strongly to win in the Southern Electric t20 Cup at Totton the next day, so that underlines their character.”

Hayward faces a selection dilemma, with Jack Mynott’s 2nd XI century putting the Dauntsey’s School batsman in contention and Zimbabwean teenager Ryan Burl pushing for a higher position up the order.

South Wilts: Hayward, Morton, Riddle, Mynott, Abel, Hibberd, Burl, Alsop, Cranch, Franklin, Pain, Warner.

Alton: M.P.Heffernan, W.Phillips, J.Dow, S.Myers, D.Bowden, J.Penn, J.Myers, M.J.Heffernan, B.Mortimer, M.Ireson, J.Ballinger.

  • Havant captain Richard Hindley is getting married today, so missed his side’s Premier Division clash with the Hampshire Academy tomorrow and Sunday’s ECB national club championship third round tie at Roffey.

Jez Bulled will take charge in both games.

Havant: Bulled, Hopson, Gibson, Walker, Ransley, Dean, Stone, Gorvin, Matthews, Ord, Jones.

  • Ventnor, enjoying their best ever season in the Premier Division, are predictably unchanged for the visit to basement club Bournemouth, who have lost opening bowler Lynton Staniford to New Milton.

To add to Bournemouth’s woe, Gurpreet Singh broke his forearm fending off a delivery from Academy left-arm paceman Tom Barber and will be sidelined for at least six weeks.

Ageas Bowl International Academy pair Alex Keath and Travis Head, who hit an unbeaten century for Ventnor against Bashley (Rydal) last week, will go head-to-head at Chapel Gate.

Bournemouth: Miller, Keath, Hand, Coombs, Allum, Kennedy, Smith, Matthews, Wainwright, A Singh A, Chaudry.

Ventnor: Mills, Cheek, Head, C Ridley, Hilsum, Westhorpe, Miller, H Calloway, Snell, Wilson, Holmes.