FAILURE to pay their dues in time has ruled three St. George's spin bowlers out of Cup Match contention this year, a major blow for the challengers ahead of the 100th anniversary of Cup Match.

Club players David Adams, Eugene (Calabash) Foggo and Kameron Fox all failed to pay their dues by the June 1 deadline. The agreement between the two Cup Match clubs that players not members by the deadline will be ineligible, is being enforced.

"The two clubs have a deadline and everyone was aware of that deadline," said an unperturbed St. George's president Neil Paynter this week.

"It only applies to Cup Match - they are still eligible to play in the league."

Adams, the main spinner in the team last year as Foggo was left out, has not played at all this season. And neither Foggo, who missed the start of the season, nor Fox have played for the league team recently.

For several years the team's bowling strength has been in the spin department where they often played two spinners in Cup Match. Last year Adams was recalled in place of Foggo and now a new contender will emerge for the slow bowling position. The issue of dues is nothing new in Cup Match. A few years ago St. George's allowed a few Somerset players to be eligible after they were late in paying their dues. On another occasion, in 1995, wicketkeeper Dean Minors was left out of the St. George's team for late payment of dues. Since then the two clubs have agreed they would make a unified stand on the issue.

Minors has since paid his dues for a five-year period, but his name has hardly been mentioned as a possible candidate for a place this year as he has not been playing lately for St. David's because of weekend work commitments.

The club, forced into changes this year, also have the wicketkeeper position to ponder as Jason Anderson is serving a one-year suspension handed down by the Bermuda Cricket Board of Control. That suspension won't end until the end of September.

Replacements will have to be found for Adams and Anderson and maybe also pace bowler Dale Fox who is injured and hasn't played for St. David's this season. Gary Brangman, who made his Cup Match debut at the age of 36 in 1997 and helped the team reclaim the cup they lost the year before, is in line for a recall after coming out of retirement this year and joining the league team. He would be the obvious replacement for Fox, to form a three-man seam attack alongside Herbie Bascome and Gregg Foggo.

It is not certain if England-based players Chris Foggo, OJ Pitcher and Ryan Steede will return to press for places in the team. None of them played last year as St. George's made seven changes, with Foggo and Steede overlooked while Pitcher was injured.

Possibly adding to the headaches at St. George's is the matter of the captaincy as Graham Fox, the man who replaced Charlie Marshall this year, has been missing for the last few games because of a knee injury. The injury is serious enough that he may be doubtful for Cup Match.

There have been whispers around the club that Fox is standing down as captain. But those rumours dispelled by the president.

"We have no confirmation of him giving up the captaincy - as far as we know he is just injured right now," said Paynter. "He is still the skipper."

Former captain Herbie Bascome has led the team in Fox's absence.

Confusion is bound to crop up in the coming weeks as Somerset Cricket Club announce the 100th anniversary of Cup Match. The match between the two clubs began in 1902 - and yes there were three matches in that first year which counted as one match - so while this is the 100th anniversary, last year's match was the 100th match. Some people were calling last year's match the 100th anniversary which is now adding to the confusion.

Look at it this way. If a match started in 1992, this year would be its 10th anniversary, but on the date of this year's match there would actually have been 11 matches played in you add the years between 1992 and 2002, inclusive. Matches played are always one more than the anniversary.

l An interesting final is in store on Saturday as in-form team Western Stars go in search of their second trophy in a week when they meet Southampton Rangers in the final of the Combined Knockout at Somerset Cricket Club.

Stars, who will meet St. David's in the Camel Cup final next month, have established themselves as the team to beat this season, having already retained the Central Counties title and also leading the Premier Division race with an unbeaten record.

In Sunday's league action, Stars are away to Bailey's Bay at Sea Breeze Oval, Flatts travel to Somerset seeking to build on last weekend's shock win over Bailey's Bay, St. George's are at home to Cleveland at Wellington Oval and St. David's entertain Rangers in the match of the day between the second and third placed teams.

In the First Division, leaders PHC host Willow Cuts at White Hill Field, Warwick meet Devonshire Rec. at Southampton Oval and Police Social Club take on Somerset Bridge at St. John's Field.