IT'S far too early in the day to be talking ‘must win’ matches, but having lost their ECB Southern Premier Division opener to Burridge, South Wilts can ill-afford another slip up at Bashley (Rydal) on Saturday.

Runners-up to Havant last season, Bashley are among the fancied teams this season – as are South Wilts – so James Hibberd’s side will need to produce a much improved performance in the New Forest.

Reflecting on the 25-run defeat by Burridge, Hibberd said: “We bowled poorly in the first 10 overs and enabled Joe Collings-Wells to get them off to a bit of a flier.

“Steve Warner and Arthur Godsal got us back in the game with the ball.

“Their 272-6 was slightly over par.

“We gave away 10 runs in the field as well, which is very unlike us.

“When we batted, losing early wickets wasn’t ideal, but we let the scoring rate go up and up and never got in a position to keep control of it. “

With opener Joe Collings-Wells and late order Will Steward to the fore, Burridge posted a daunting 272-6 at Bemerton before reducing South Wilts to 45-4 and later 215-9.

Their 25-run win against one of the fancied sides won’t have gone unnoticed.

Portsmouth Grammar School raised Collings-Wells, with ten boundaries in his 69, led the way for Burridge, but after the innings had stuttered somewhat at 164-6, Solent University’s Will Steward (57) took up the baton and steered the visitors towards a highly competitive total.

That 272-6 (Luke Evans 3-42) target looked a million miles away when South Wilts dropped to 46-4, Nick McMurray (2-25) taking two of them.

Jack Mynott (63) and Arthur Godsal (30), who earlier snapped up four catches in the outfield, added 90 before the innings gradually ebbed away to 215-9, Fareham and Crofton teen ace Oli Southon returning 3-44 on debut.

James Hayward flies back from Miami to take his place in the South Wilts line-up at Bashley.