Somerset’s Cup Match team has a look of stability about it before today’s final trial matches, while challengers St George’s are tasked with picking a bowling team strong enough to bowl out the champions twice over the two days.

Somerset have the luxury of Kamau Leverock’s availability, after he returned from the UK this week to stake a claim in the team. All eyes will be on the all-rounder, who can add depth to the batting and the bowling attack as a seamer, as well as all-rounders Dion Stovell and Joshua Gilbert who look the likely players to replace the retiring Janeiro Tucker and Jacobi Robinson.

The champions named two strong teams for today’s trial match, with Jordan DeSilva captain of the President’s XI that contains the bulk of last year’s team — Jekon Edness, Chris Douglas, Terryn Fray, Tre Manders, Derrick Brangman, Greg Maybury and Stephen Outerbridge — while Justin Corday, Isaiah Richardson and Kamal Bashir complete the eleven.

Leverock, Stovell and Gilbert will be in the Vice-president’s team, captained by Malachi Jones. That team also have two promising left-handed batsmen — Regino Smith, of Flatts, and Alex Dore, of Southampton Rangers, who could make the selection interesting tonight with good performances with the bat.

Dore, an opener, scored 55 out of a Rangers total of 142 against Western Stars last weekend before he was eventually eighth out, while Smith has played a key role in helping Flatts win three straight matches in the First Division, winning a One Communications Player of the Week award for his performance against PHC recently.

Smith, who tried out for St George’s a few years ago, was invited to Somerset last year and was named as a reserve, which rules him out of playing for St George’s.

The east enders have made six changes in each of the last four years and will make at least two changes, with former captain OJ Pitcher and Stefan Kelly ruled out.

St George’s lack the experience of Somerset and will have a new captain this year in Macai Simmons, who will lead a President’s XI in today’s trial match with only five players from last year’s match. Treadwell Gibbons and Allan Douglas, the club’s two in-form batsmen, will both play for the President’s team along with veteran Lionel Cann who is looking to end his Cup Match career where it started in 1993. Cann was one of five colts in the match that year, Dexter Smith (St George’s), Allan Brangman, Anthony Manders and Wayne Richardson of Somerset being the others.

Two of the young bowlers aiming to catch the eye of the selectors, Cejay Outerbridge and Charles Trott, are both playing for the President’s team, while Kyle Hodsoll and Zeko Burgess will be in the Vice-president’s team as part of a four-prong seam attack that also includes Justin Pitcher and youngster Dean Simons.

Batsman Temiko Wilson, another player aiming for a spot, will also play in the vice-president’s team that is being captained by Onias Bascome. Bascome was dropped last year and will be battling for a spot, possibly that of his brother, Oronde, who is included in the same Vice-president’s team.

Also hoping to give the selectors a nudge is Brian Hall of Western Stars, who has the ability to score quickly in the middle or late order to go with his spin bowling. Last weekend his 36 off 38 balls included three well-struck sixes and helped Stars squeeze out a close victory over Southampton Rangers.

n Somerset open the defence of their first Cup Match title tomorrow when they travel to Wellington Oval hoping to retain the Colts Cup Match trophy they have held since 2013.

Somerset won a rain-affected match last year by six wickets after St George’s were restricted to 85 for seven in their 26 overs, with Somerset replying with 84 for four in 19.2 overs.

The 2015 match was drawn after Somerset won another rain-hit match in 2014 by 25 runs. They had a 76-run win in 2013 when they bowled out champions St George’s for 135 on the second last ball, chasing 211 for victory.

Somerset have a new captain this year with Isaiah Richardson taking over from Justin Donawa who, like Kwasi James, Antonio Darrell and Justin Corday, is too old, forcing Somerset to make four changes to last year’s team.

The rules permit three players from outside the parishes of St George’s and Sandys, so Somerset have recalled Dore of Rangers and also included Sheldon Caesar and Dalin Richardson, the Bermuda Under-19 captain, who plays for Western Stars. Two of the changes are Azar Morrissey and Tai Carriah, who were reserves last year.

“Because we have so many players to choose from, some of the younger guys have to wait until next year,” explained Mike Corday, chairman of the selectors. “Some of them could very easily have made the team.”

The matches start at 11am.