8:00am Saturday 31st July 2010
BASINGSTOKE and Mid Hants will be looking to kick-start their British Athletics League campaign this weekend after two disappointing performances so far this season.
The Down Grange club lie bottom of national division one with just three points going into the third match of the year at Bromley today.
Basingstoke need a minimum of eight points, two fifth-place finishes, to have any chance of avoiding |relegation – but team manager Ian Byett remains upbeat.
“All is not lost and we believe we can turn things around,” he said. “The next match at Bromley is the nearest one for us this season. We should be able to put out a strong team and then it is down to how well clubs like Gateshead and Liverpool travel.”
Basingstoke suffered in the absence of multi-eventers Ben Hazell and Sam Sleap, who compete in most of the field events, during the opening meeting at Cardiff, finishing seventh as a result.
The pair returned for the second match at Sheffield and while the Down Grange club improved their points tally by 20, they finished eighth and last. Junior sprinter Kieran Showler-Davis was a big loss on that occasion, missing out due to international duty having won both the 100m and 200m at Cardiff.
Byett is hoping to field his multi-eventers and Showler-Davis together for the first time this weekend, which could help Basingstoke get an improved result, while Andy Blow will be looking to keep up his 100 per cent record in the 400m hurdles.
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