BASINGSTOKE and North Hants will look to get themselves into the Southern League Division One title shake-up, starting with a trip to early leaders Portsmouth on Saturday.

This will be followed by a visit from second placed Liphook a week on Saturday to May’s Bounty.

The Bountymen are in good form at the moment and will relish the trip and will hope to end the home side’s perfect start to the season.

Basingstoke crushed Rowledge by eight wickets last Saturday, as the visitors were bowled out for 80.

This weekend, they face a side whose bowling attack was just as lethal last weekend at Bournemouth as they bowled the Dorset side out for 73, but then lost seven wickets in their run chase.

The Bountymen will reshuffle their line-up for the trip as Matt Thankachan is unavailable and Graham Porter is doubtful.

Into the line-up will come Joe Oates and Dean Nurse. Bradley Neal would have been called up, but he is unavailable this weekend.

Looking ahead to the Portsmouth trip skipper Mitch Stokes said: “Both teams are playing well at the moment, so I am expecting a good game. If we can get to the half way point of the season with just one loss, that would be great, but we have some tough games coming up.”

On Saturday, Rowledge having decided to bat at May’s Bounty were soon in trouble, as opening bowlers Martyn James (1-29) and Graham Porter (2-18) removed the top three batsman for just 34 runs.

Chris Jolley (2-16) and Stokes (9-7-3-2) took up the mantle and reduced the visitors to 61-6.

Rowledge’s top scorer Joe Randall (18) moved the total to 78-6, but then they lost their last four wickets for just two runs as Dan Belcher (3-10) from 21 balls finished off the job.

The Bountymen reached their winning target in the 28th over, Stokes with the only six of the game and Max Harsham were the only home batsmen out. It was left to Chris Froud (37) and Belcher (19) to see them to victory.