Malachi Jones will be looking to pick up where he left off during last weekend's first round of the Western Counties which saw the talented all-rounder hammer a maiden century in domestic competition to guide cup holders Southampton Rangers to a comfortable 124-run win over Willow Cuts.

Jones pounded the Cuts attack into submission with a boundary-filled and unbeaten 103, scored off 51 balls – the second fastest century of the season. And then he returned to claim four wickets to cap off a remarkable all-round performance.

The 19-year-old cricketer is confident his team can retain the cup in today's second round contest at White Hill Field but has warned his team-mates not to take anything for granted against a PHC outfit that will be without several key cogs through travel and ineligibility.

"We can't underestimate PHC even though they are going to be without a few key players," said Jones.

"They can always bring in guest players to make up the numbers and so you can't take them for granted. We just have to go out there and play cricket the way we know how to play."

Challengers PHC will go into today's match without seasoned campaigner Cal Waldron and influential player/coach Andre Manders who are both off the Island. Wrist spinner David (Chick) Adams, wicketkeeper/batsman Jason Anderson and prolific run-getter Fiqre Crockwell are all ineligible to play, having joined PHC at the beginning of the 2008 season.

According to exisiting Western Counties regulations all players must either reside in the parish of their respective club for a minimum of two years or be a representative of their chosen club for one year.

In an effort to try and fill the void, PHC have called upon the services of ex-professional footballer Kyle Lightbourne, assistant coach Mark Smith as well as wicketkeeper/batsman Ricardo Brangman and veteran left arm spinner Hassan Durham as guest players.

Rangers have only made one change from last weekend's counties squad with seamer Ryan Belboda replacing batsman Lyndon Raynor who has come out of retirement this season after a lengthy hiatus.

Southampton skipper Jones said he was generally satisfied with his team's overall performance against Cuts in the first round, particularly the efforts from his batsmen who piled up an impressive 310 for eight in their allotted overs.

"It was an all-round good batting performance and I think we also done well in the field," he said. "We don't really have the batting depth in our team that we had a few seasons ago and at the moment we are just playing within our limits.

"I don't expect us to score 300 runs or bowl a team out for 180 every week. But when we do, I take that as a bonus. The boys have been putting their heads down and we have been coming up with good results. So basically all we have to do is go back out there (White Hill) tomorrow (today) and try and pick up where we left off and retain the trophy by any means possible."

Meanwhile, Young Men's Social Club will rest their Central Counties crown on the line at Devonshire Recreation Club today when they meet Western Stars in the final round.

Social Club have had things all their own way in the competition thus far and will again be favoured to get past a Stars side still going through a rebuilding phase.

However, Charlie Marshall's men cannot afford to take their opponents lightly with Stars having nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Social Club defeated Devonshire by 89 runs and Police by five wickets in the first two rounds.