READING Rockets’ (12-3) 11-game winning streak will be put to the test this weekend as they visit in-form Team Solent Kestrels (10-6, 7pm) on Saturday before returning to Bohunt School to host the Bradford Dragons (10-8) on Sunday afternoon (5pm).

Rockets comfortably overcame the league’s basement team Westminster Warriors (0-15) last weekend as they ran out 79-55 winners.

Manuel Pena Garces’ men have already defeated Saturday’s opposition twice this season in the National Trophy (79-65) and in the league (101-79). They also beat Bradford 102-96 back in November.

However, the Kestrels have reached the National Cup final since and won their last four games, and Pena Garces believes his side must improve following a slightly sluggish performance against Warriors.

He said: “It was important not to slip up against Westminster and we are pleased that we didn’t do that and came out with a comfortable win, but the performance was not what we were looking for and we need to address that this week.

“I think we have been playing at a very good level in recent weeks, but this was a bit sloppy from us and whilst I can understand the type of mindset we had, this needs to be better in time for what is a really difficult weekend coming up for us.”

He continued: “Team Solent are on a good run at the moment and have brought in a new American player since our last meeting and having been in the National Cup final as well as winning the last four games, they will fancy their chances against us being at home too. Matt (Guymon, Team Solent Kestrels head coach) has assembled a good unit now and has got them playing some good basketball so I expect this to be a different kind of challenge and one that requires excellent preparation and application during the game.”

Bradford will be looking for revenge when they visit Reading on Sunday, and Pena Garces warned his side they must be on their guard against the northerners.

He said: “Chris (Mellor, Bradford Dragons head coach) has done a great job with his team and really uses the personnel he has to the maximum and having beat us in Bradford last time we played, I’m sure he and his team will believe they can do the same this time around.

“But this is not what we can worry about, what the other team is thinking, how they will approach the game etc. We need to keep improving our performance week by week, preparing one game at a time, and executing our game plan with discipline and I think if we do that we have a very good chance of keeping our run going.”

Shooting guard Joel Keeble is likely to be the only absentee from Rockets’ main roster as he continues to recover from a wrist a wrist injury.