SKIPPER Martin Miller admitted Bournemouth's promotion dream had already bitten the dust despite stopping the rot last weekend.

Lions head into tomorrow's Southern Premier League Division One clash at Hook & Newnham Basics (1pm) within one victory of every team in their league other than unbeaten leaders Portsmouth.

The ultra-competitive start has seen Miller's men defeated three times in five outings and although he predicts 2016 will continue to throw up surprises, he knows Bournemouth's bid for a return to the top tier is all but over.

Miller told the Daily Echo: "We have lost three matches and you don't normally win leagues with that number of defeats.

"When you consider we still have Basingstoke and Sarisbury to play twice – two good, strong sides – I don't think promotion is an option for us with the way we have played so far this year.

"There have been key changes to our personnel over the winter. We lost two strike bowlers and an overseas player and while we have brought in players, it was always going to be a question of whether we could hit the ground running with bat and ball.

"You always begin the season with high hopes. I have been quite happy with the bowling, we even have some bowlers who are not getting as much action as they would like, but we have struggled to post totals.

"Once we start getting runs, things will take care of themselves but in terms of our aspirations, you're not going to win leagues if you're getting bowled out for 80 and that has happened twice.

"Three defeats at this stage of the season simply doesn't bode well for us finishing top of the tree."

But while Miller reckons Bournemouth will not fight back to claim top spot, he insists Portsmouth will not run away with the crown.

"We should have beaten them," he added. "I have been saying for some time how any team can beat any other. It is a very competitive league.

"Had we taken all of our chances in the game against Portsmouth or even posted another 50, I would like to think we would have got the victory.

"They have a good side but I am not looking at chasing Portsmouth at the moment, we're looking to get runs on the board.

"With the ball, we have no problems at all. With the exception of Portsmouth, we have bowled out every side and I am just concentrating on us posting competitive scores with the bat. The bowling will take care of itself.

"It is going to be one of those seasons where everyone is capable of beating each other so we have to turn up every Saturday and put together our A game with the bat and the ball.

"Overall, it about us performing well and seeing where it takes us. We will finish where we finish."

Ben Bridgen returns from unavailability and replaces Dominic Clutterbuck who has a match for Millfield School.

Lions: Miller, Bridgen, Matthews, Park, Hurley, Bollom, Urankar, James, Pack, Warner, Woodward.