HOOK and Newnham Basics CC captain Matt Love is looking for his side to build on their first win of the season when they entertain Bournemouth at King George V Playing Fields on Saturday.

Hook have yet to play on home soil this season in Southern League Division One, with all three of their games being wiped out due to the weather.

On the road, they suffered defeat at Hambledon, but got into the winning groove last weekend with an excellent seven-wicket success over Liphook and Ripsley.

Love is now looking forward to the visit of Bournemouth and said: “We are buzzing about them coming to our place.

“We are just a village team and credit should go to Keith Lovelock and the late Alan Coates, who guided us to the level where we are now playing teams like Bournemouth.”

The home side have been forced into one change as opening batsman and top scorer in the Liphook win, Ben Thane, is unavailable.

Captain Love will move up and open with Jordan Hobday and a batsman from the second team will be slotted into the middle order.

Love said: “Not having Ben (Thane) gives somebody the opportunity to come up and stake a claim for a place in the first team.”

Confidence will be high in the camp after last Saturday’s victory at Liphook, in which Hook won the toss and bowled Liphook out for 160.

The visitor’s top bowler was spinner Anik Divecha (3-31), while Glen Williams took 2-39 from only five overs.

The previous time Hook played at Liphook, they were bowled out for 59, but there was no repeat performance thanks to a super opening partnership between Thane and Jordan Hobday.

Hobday (59) hit a six to bring up his half-century, before being the first man out, trapped leg before wicket with the score on 117.

Fellow opener Thane (77) remained in the middle until the end as the visitors reached a winning score of 162-3, Elliott Hawkins (3-18) taking all three wickets to fall.

Talking about the victory, Love said: “It was a good toss to win and I don’t think it was a 160 pitch as we were flying when we were batting.

“It was a great all-round team performance.

“We bowled and fielded really well because we were hungry to get out and play some cricket.”