ago, defending champions Southampton Rangers enter tomorrow's Western Counties Cup second-round game against the west enders confident of advancing to this year's final. The 60-overs game is at Southampton Oval at 11 a.m.

In the second round of 1990 Willow Cuts sent Southampton tumbling to a shock defeat with some astonishing spin bowling by Kevin Fubler and Vivian Simons, but Southampton's skipper Ricky Brangman feels his team will be prepared for anything their opponents have to offer this time around.

"We are going into this game pretty confident,''said Brangman. "Our team has just started to play together and we are on something like a five-game winning streak.'' Of that surprise loss to Willow Cuts when they last met in the competition, Brangman said: "Of course anything can happen, but we have just got to put our heads down and bat.'' One thing Southampton have in their favour is that top batsman Olin Jones has apparently fully recovered from the hamstring injury he received prior to Cup Match -- he's bowling and fielding well and is among the runs once again.

"Olin is in good shape and there is no sign of any physical problems,'' said his skipper. "He's bowling a lot now, fielding well and batting pretty good also.'' The fans will be looking for the teams to produce more runs this time, a far cry more than the 104 put up by Southampton who batted first a year ago.

Willow Cuts struggled and squeezed home with 105-9 in reply.

Fubler snatched four for 24 and Simons four for 22 as Southampton bowed to their spin bowling, but this time the cup holders will be counting on more production from people like Jones, Keith Wainwright, Stevie Lightbourne, Clevie Wade and Brangman himself.

While Brangman is hopeful that his batting will come alive this time, he seems to be also confident that he has the bowling strength to prevent Willow Cuts from reaching a formidable total even though they will be without pacer Kyle Lightbourne who spearheaded the attack two years ago with a haul of six for 26.

"Quinton Burch has been pretty hot for us this season and young Gary Williams will assist with the pace, then we have medium pace bowlers like Janeiro Tucker and Clevie Wade following before we get to spinners Olin Jones and Lyndon Raynor,'' said Brangman.

Southampton: Ricky Brangman (capt), Olin Jones, Kwane Tucker, Quinton Burch, Keith Wainwright, Gary Williams, Lyndon Raynor, Stevie Lightbourne, Clevie Wade, Janeiro Tucker, Michael Brangman. Res: Dean Stevens, Marvin Campbell, Tacoma Robinson.

OLIN JONES -- Rangers will be hoping for a good performance from him on Saturday.