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The last chance for Cup Match hopefuls

Flashback: <I>The Royal Gazette?s</I> Deputy Chief Photographer Tamell Simons was trawling through our archives and found this picture from the 1989 Cup Match at St George?s. In it, Somerset?s Anthony (George) Amory is pictured on his way to making 69 not out while St George?s wicketkeeper Dean Minors, and Wendell Smith, look on. Amory was named Man of the Match that year, while Minors might be about to make a shock return to the St George?s side of which Smith is now one of the selectors.

Three players will battle it out to keep wicket, several bowlers will find out that seven into three just doesn’t go, and six players will sit in Florida wondering if playing for Bermuda will have harmed their dreams of playing for St George’s in Cup Match this year.Final trials for the annual classic will be held at both ends of the Island on Saturday, and between now and around midnight on Saturday fans from East and West are likely to debate who should be in their team, and who shouldnt.St George’s have an embarrassment of riches when it comes to picking an 11 they think can help them win the trophy outright for the first time since their seven-wicket triumph in 2006.Without holding a trial the selectors could pick a team that wouldn’t look out of place representing Bermuda; with Oronde Bascome, Jason Anderson, Delyone Borden, Lionel Cann, Allan Douglas Jnr, Chris Foggo, Stefan Kelly, George O’Brien, Justin Pitcher, OJ Pitcher, and Rodney Trott all available.Not that Somerset haven’t got a healthy international contingent of their own to fall back on, and Chris Douglas, Stephen Outerbridge, Malachi Jones, Dion Stovell and skipper Jekon Edness are all former or current internationals.Add to that the likes of Joshua Gilbert, Kamau Leverock, Deunte Darrell and the incomparable Janerio Tucker, and the West End team are hardly lacking in talent themselves. That assumes of course that club politics doesn’t play as a significant a role in team selection as it has in the past.What St George’s seem to have this year is a strength in depth that means the 11 players named above will be battling for their spots against the likes of Christian Burgess, Damali Bell, Fiqre Crockwell, Lateef Trott, and, however unlikely it may seem, Dean Minors.Minors, despite his advancing years, is still one of the best wicketkeepers on the Island and given his form with the bat in the Premier Division this season could be viewed as a genuine threat to Anderson, Burgess, and Foggo, all of whom might consider themselves contenders for the role.Anderson though hasn’t been keeping wicket regularly this year because he has struggled to overcome a finger injury, while Burgess’ form has been erratic at best, and their performances in Saturday’s game, where Anderson will keep for the President’s XI and Burgess for the Vice President’s XI, may be what finally makes the selectors’ minds up for them.Flatts wicketkeeper Regino Smith has also been picked for the final trial, and will be in the President’s XI alongside Burgess and Foggo, however, Smith has been brought in to give skipper Clay Smith a spin option for the game.Meanwhile, with Crockwell, Bell, Cann, Bascome, OJ Pitcher, O’Brien and Minors all on international duty this week that has opened up seven spots in Saturday’s trial match at Wellington Oval, giving an outside chance to the likes of Ryan Steede, Kyle Hodsoll and Landro Minors to force their way into the final 11.“The guys that are away have all played in previous trials and we’ve already had a good look a them,” said Clay Smith.“This gives us the chance to see how some of the other players perform under pressure, and gives them a chance to make a last bid to be in the side.”Saturday’s trial match begins at 10am at Wellington Oval and will be played under Cup Match conditions.President’s XI: Clay Smith (capt), Chris Foggo, Christian Burgess, Regino Smith, Richard Todd, Allan Douglas Jnr, Justin Pitcher, Ryan Steede, Lateef Trott, David Lovell, Zeko Burgess.Vice President’s XI: Delyone Borden (capt), Jason Anderson, Glenn Blakeney, Mishael Paynter, Landro Minors, Detroy Smith, Shae Pitcher, Clay Darrell, Rudell Pitcher, Kyle Hodsoll, Stefan KellyReserves: Ricky Foggo, Onias Bascome