Bournemouth are shaping up for a long overdue challenge in the ECB Southern Electric Premier League after dominating neighbours Bashley (Rydal) in the last of the initial batch of 50-over matches.

A 50-run victory brought Bournemouth a third successive win and, when the nine-week stint of all-day matches begin next Saturday, the confidence to interrupt the Havant-BAT Sports monopoly of Premier League affairs for the past three seasons, writes MIKE VIMPANY.

With twice-champions Havant losing by three wickets at South Wilts, Bournemouth and BAT are now the only unbeaten Division 1 clubs.

"We're up for it this season," says skipper Matt Swarbrick. "This is the best side we've had since we won the old Southern League title back in 1996 and I fancy we'll be challenging.

"We've got a nice blend: plenty of experience - a top ex-pro in Richard Scott and a quality overseas player in Adam Voges. And plenty of others who can play a bit as well."

Bashley, in contrast, have started badly - a third defeat in four suggesting that they are going to have to get their heads down to avert a struggle for ECB survival.

The margin of Bournemouth's victory at the BCG was more emphatic than the 50-run statistic suggests.

The game was in the balance for 20 overs or so, but once Geoff Warrington and Scott had steadied an uncertain 73-3, Bournemouth gained command and went on to post an unassailable 252-9 off 50 overs

Bournemouth owed much to their fourth-wicket pair, whose 126-run partnership effectively put Bashley out of the reckoning.

Bournemouth lost Swarbrick second ball and teenager Nick Park at 58-2, but were buoyed by the class of Western Australian Voges.

The former Australia Under-19 all-rounder survived a missed run-out and a spill at mid-on, but caught the eye with several imperious shots.

He got off the mark with a blistering on-boundary drive and soon afterwards sent a venomous hook for six so far over the square-leg boundary that play was delayed for almost ten minutes while spectators searched to retrieve the ball

To Bashley's relief, Voges tried one ambitious shot too many and was trapped leg before attempting to whip a Matt King delivery off his pads.

Bournemouth lost the momentum for a while - King frequently beating the outside of Warrington's bat - but once the fourth-wicket duo played themselves in, the runs began to flow.

Scott, in particular, was timing the ball sweetly; Warrington hitting straight and hard - frequently to the boundary.

Bashley rotated their bowlers but were unable to stem the tide - Scott piercing the ropes with a six and seven fours, and Warrington hammering three sixes and ten fours.

It took an outstanding one-handed catch by Kevin Nash six overs before tea to remove Scott for a splendid 62.

But Warrington plundered on, cracking a league best 91 before King rearranged his stumps at 237-8.

Nash picked up 4-40 as late wickets tumbled, while Joe Wilson scored his first league runs since August 2001 as Bournemouth closed at 252-9.

With a player of Luke Ronchi's quality in their armoury, Bashley might have been optimistic of challenging the Bournemouth total.

But with the Western Australian starlet wintering at the famous Commonwealth Bank Cricket Academy in Adelaide and his overseas replacement Brad Thompson nursing a badly broken finger, they had neither the depth - nor any real confidence in their batting - to muster anything significant.

They began well enough through Chris Sketchley (27), but Dorset left-armers David Kidner and Martin Mixer took two each as Bashley lurched to 72-5.

As Bournemouth relaxed their grip, so Neil Taylor (43) and Shaun Lilley (26) used their experience to add an air of respectability to the run chase.

Although they added 58, the outcome was inevitable - Scott (3-34), the former Hampshire all-rounder, completing a good day's work with the last two wickets.