WILTSHIRE will not dwell on their season-opening Unicorns Championship Western Division defeat to Dorset ahead of another three-day challenge at home to Berkshire, according to coach Tom Morton.

Morton’s men will be looking to record their first three-day win of the season when hosting Berkshire at Corsham, which gets under way on Sunday.

Despite starting their Championship campaign in losing fashion, Morton remains confident in his side’s ability – though admits batting must improve if they are to earn a win.

He said: “The defeat (against Dorset) was disappointing, they always are.

“But we won’t dwell on the result too much, there were some good performances within the loss.

“Luke Evans taking six wickets in the first innings was a highlight and there were some small contributions with the bat.

“The focus for us in these three-day games is to make sure our batsmen go on and get big runs, something we failed to do against Dorset.

“That’s our key focus for this game.”

Berkshire boast slow left-arm spinner Chris Peploe in their ranks, a player who Morton believes is likely to pose the biggest threat to his Wiltshire troops.

The 37-year-old competed at first-class level for Middlesex during a five-year period from 2003 until 2008.

“Berkshire are a dominant side. They’ve won the competition before so we know it’s going to be a tough game,” said Morton.

“It’s a home match for us and we’re confident playing at Corsham.

“Berkshire have had lots of success recently and they’re strong in various areas. A leading player for them is their left-arm spinner Chris Peploe.

“We’re going to have to be clear regarding our plan against him.

“They’ve got a strong team, most of them have been involved with county teams. It will be a challenge but we’re always up for it.”

With availability being one of Morton’s main issues this season, the Wiltshire boss was relieved to confirm a near full-strength squad for this weekend’s fixture.

And using in-form players from the county’s newly-introduced second team is part of Morton’s long-term plan to establish Wiltshire as a leading side on the minor counties circuit.

He said: “Availability is good, it’s stronger this week than it has been all season.

“We’ll be more competitive we hope.

“Wiltshire started a second team last year, it’s made up of players on the fringe of the first team.

“They’ve played three games this year and won all three matches, so there are encouraging signs.

“A lot of those players are starting to feature in the first team, which is great exposure for them.

“It’s about making sure they’ve got a continued opportunity to play at that level, but I’ve got a lot of confidence in them.”