SWINDON and Royal Wootton Bassett will undergo a dress rehearsal for tomorrow’s WEPL Wiltshire clash in the Wiltshire Wallop T20 competition this evening.

The two teams will meet at the Gerard Buxton Sports Ground tonight in the shortened format of the game before heading over to the County Ground tomorrow for a 50-over contest.

While Bassett skipper Darren Beasant is hoping to claim the bragging rights in both matches, he has piled the pressure on their opponents, with both side expected to miss several players.

“There are a few games you look at in the fixture list and use as a yardstick for yourselves,” Beasant said.

“Warminster away on the opening day of the season was one; Trowbridge and Swindon are another two.

“Swindon are a big club – I was for there for about 15 years and was captain for five of them so it is a game that I’m looking forward to.

“There is a lot of familiarity because we know each other but a lot has changed.

“We are missing a few players and I was speaking to Andy Staff (Swindon wicketkeeper), who is a good friend of mine, and he said that they were in the same boat.

“Teams like Swindon have 15 to 20 players who are all capable of playing WEPL cricket, so when they are missing a couple of players, it doesn’t tend to affect them.

“Our best XI is our best XI regardless of the format and when we are missing a couple of players, it can show.”

Before tomorrow’s meeting, Beasant is looking forward to the T20 Wallop battle this evening.

“It is a good competition and one that we want to do well,” Beasant said. “The T20 format is an important part of our game.

“It brings in much-needed revenue and it helps keeps the kids interested.”

Bassett’s Ian Lancaster will miss the derby battle due to a long-standing fitness issue, while batsman Jack Paish is unavailable.