Basketball: Kings enter Bears' lair

Worthing Bears' Alan Cunningham is not waiting to play guessing games with his former coach, Kevin Cadle, before his team attempt to beat Carlsberg League champions Guildford Kings for the second time this season in their First Division game tonight at the Worthing Sports Centre, writes Duncan Hooper.

Because Guildford exceeded the domestic salary gap in recruiting their squad, Cadle must omit two of his highest earners and declare his line-up on the scoresheet 20 minutes before each game.

The Worthing player-coach, Cunningham, will not be holding his breath: 'I take a leaf out of Kevin's book,' the former Harlem Globetrotter, who won the League title with Guildford nee Kingston in each of the last three seasons under Cadle, said.

'Kevin never really worries about the other team. He concentrates on preparing his players and I approach games the same way. As long as we know what we're doing, he can put who the hell he likes out on the floor.'

Worthing ended Guildford's unbeaten record three weeks ago but then saw their own unbeaten home run terminated the following week in front of a capacity crowd of 1,200 against Thames Valley Tigers, who are still undefeated and lead the table.

More than 200 fans were turned away that night. Tonight's programme begins with a junior game and is followed by an under-24 fixture. 'We ask people to get here as early as they can,' a club official said, 'because once we reach our safety limit we have no option but to turn them away.'