Youth, experience and guest players.

Those will be the three critical considerations when St. David's selectors meet tonight to select their team for the Eastern Counties final on Saturday against Bailey's Bay.

Earlier this season a policy was put into place at the club to consider only club players for their counties match this year, even though the league team contained a number of youngsters with little experience.

But now indications from president Delby Borden are that guest players such as Albert Steede, Herbie Bascome and Gregg Foggo may be considered. Bascome and Foggo played in a trial match for the club on the weekend.

"This new policy that we're trying to put in place I think will help our programme in the long run,'' said Borden this week.

"If everybody is playing good then we will go with our club players. We started to say that in the early part of the season but we've had a few injuries so we've invited everybody out to train. The rest is in the selectors' hands.'' In opener Chris Foggo, St. David's have one of the most promising young batsmen and even at the tender age of 15 he looks certain to make his Eastern Counties debut. Ironically his father Vernon -- himself one of the most exciting batsmen produced by St. David's -- also made his Counties debut at that same age.

"I feel we are lucky to have some of the better youngsters in Bermuda, players like Angelo Cannonier, Landro Minors, Rudell Pitcher, O.J.Pitcher and Fiqre Crockwell,'' said Borden.

"We've got several youngsters who are extremely good so it's just a matter of us keeping the youth programme together.'' Just how many of those youngsters will be included in the team is uncertain, with Foggo and Rudell Pitcher the two likely inclusions.

"Sometimes it can do more damage than good,'' said a cautious Borden.

Foggo is one who will be hard to ignore, even at his age, as he has been the regular opening batsman for the team all season.

"Chris seems to really be mature and I think the youth tournament helped him tremendously,'' said Borden.

"He performed very well with the youth squad and if he can do it at that level than I think he can do it at the local level.'' One player who has no doubts about Foggo's ability is veteran player Allen Richardson who is set to play in the Counties for the 25th and final year.

Richardson retired at the end of last year but shortages in the league team forced him back out. Now he has the chance to bow out on his home field where he played his first match in the early 1970s. He is bothered by a pulled calf muscle.

Richardson was one of the youngest players for St. David's in the Counties when he made his debut in the same team as Vernon Foggo.

"You can see the love of the game and the natural talent that Chris has,'' said Richardson, who also put Pitcher -- son of Oliver Pitcher -- in that same category.

"Now is a good time to start grooming the young players. The future really looks good, the talent is there. Last year we had a good team and still got hammered.'' Richardson said that with the competition switching back to Bailey's Bay next year regardless, the club can afford to be patient and rebuild the team. He and George Cannonier, who also came out of retirement this year, are two of the senior players who are likely to be chosen to guide the youngsters.

"We started to look at the prorgamme and in the past we had to win County Cup to get it back in St. David's, but now it's been changed to a year-about and we don't have to sacrifice,'' said Borden. "George has been helping out with coaching the senior team. Personally I think he's going to give them a go for a spot.''