PHANTOMS' pre-season preparations step up a gear tonight when they travel to Milton Keynes for first leg of the Ashes series.

After firing eight unanswered goals past the sorry students of the GB Universities side on Wednesday, Phantoms are expecting a far sterner test of their English Premier League credentials tonight as coach Dwayne Newman returns to his old club for the first time.

And while playing for the Ashes urn - which contains Newman's burnt Lightning uniform - has been conceived to generate extra interest in the traditional pre-season fixtures, the veteran Canadian player-coach knows extra spice comes guaranteed when these sworn enemies clash twice this weekend.

They meet in Buckinghamshire tonight (7pm) and then renew...