ESSEX Leopards will be looking to move up the English Division One table when they open 2013 with a double header this weekend.

Last season saw the Big Cats start the league campaign slowly before reeling off 19 straight wins to take the title and Robert Youngblood’s team will hope for something similar this year.

Youngblood’s team face a rare Saturday night home game this week when they host Tees Valley Mohawks at the Basildon Sporting Village, tip-off 7pm, before travelling to Medway Park Crusaders on Sunday.

The Mohawks are second in the table with seven wins from nine games and the teams met on the opening weekend of the season as the north east side controversially won 83-81 in the National Trophy group stage.

Leopards are also in action in Gillingham on Sunday afternoon when they will look to repeat the 80-63 victory against the Kent side they recorded in the Trophy three months ago.

Crusaders, who include former Leopard Lukas Volskis in their line-up, are 11th in the Division One table with three wins from nine games, while the Big Cats head into the New Year in eighth spot with a 4-3 record having played the fewest games in the division.