NEWLY-PROMOTED Basingstoke and Mid Hants AC face a tough battle to hold on to their place in British Athletics League National Division One.

The BAL season gets under way on Saturday, with the first match of the summer taking place at Eton.

Basingstoke and Mid Hants have spent the last few years yo-yoing between the second and third tiers of the national athletics league.

Having led the Down Grange club to promotion to National Division One for a third time, team manager Ian Byett accepts that they face a tough season against teams from big cities like Liverpool and Cardiff.

“It would be a real achievement to stay up this season,” he said. “It’s going to be very tough for us, but we will give it our best shot.

“It’s certainly not a forlorn situation, but it will be very hard.

“We’ll be aiming to finish third from bottom and anything else would be a bonus.”

Basingstoke’s strength comes in the sprints. Kieran Showler-Davis is ranked number two in Britain over 100m this year, with his brother, Dean Showler-Davis, and Myles Richardson backing him up over 100m and 200m.

Andy Blow is likely to pick up good points in the 110m hurdles and while he will miss the first match through injury, Owen Richardson will strengthen the team in the 400m.

Decathletes Sam Sleap and Ben Hazell will continue to be mainstays of the team, while Byett is excited about seeing new signing Ryan Bonifas and youngster Malachi Gair perform in the high jump.

Byett added: “We will be strong in the sprints and some of the field events, but we could struggle when it comes to the middle and long distance races.”