St George’s made six changes to their Cup Match team for the second straight year, bringing in two colts and recalling four others as the axe fell on three of last year’s colts.

Hampered by Saturday’s heavy rain that stopped the final trial match at 3.20pm, the selectors had to largely base their final selections on reputations and performances this season. Even Allan Douglas’s five-wicket haul for the President’s XI was not enough for the Cleveland County captain to retain his place.

Coming in as colts are Delray Rawlins, the 16-year-old left-arm spinner, and batsman Shannon Rayner, as the selectors dropped one St David’s player, recalled two others and decided against bringing back another. Fiqre Crockwell, George O’Brien, Jason Anderson and Kyle Hodsoll were all recalled.

Treadwell Gibbons Jr has been out of favour since last year’s antics at Wellington Oval after being controversially given out and was not selected for the trials. Rawlins, a reserve the past two years, gets his chance, but youngsters Onias Bascome, Christian Burgess and Zeko Burgess were dropped after one year.

“I’m just happy to get selected, I’m looking to giving my all on the two days and hoping my team can come out with a victory,” said Rawlins, who will be the youngest spinner to make his debut for St George’s since Tre Govia in 2008 at Somerset.

The youngster looked calm and composed on Saturday night after the team was selected, but reality should hit him over the new couple of days as the excitement grows.

“It’s a good feeling but I can’t really describe it,” said Rawlins, who got the nod despite not taking a wicket in his nine overs, which went going for 43. “I thought I bowled pretty good, stuck it in some good areas.”

Few players got the opportunity to push their claim in the shortened trial, although Lionel Cann reminded the selectors that there is no substitute for experience as he and the reliable Rodney Trott rescued the Vice-President’s team from deep trouble at 49 for five with a sixth wicket stand of 93. Cann scored 69 off 72 balls in 93 minutes at the crease, hitting six fours and four sixes, while Trott supported with 22 from 70 balls.

Douglas led the President’s bowling with five for 19 while Justin Pitcher had two for 16, but both players were subsequently dropped as Hodsoll, with one for 20 from eight overs, earned a recall. The President’s team batted for only 11 balls and scored 10 for one before the rain ended the match just as several players were looking to push their claims.

Oronde Bascome, the captain was out on the fourth ball of the innings, having promised a good knock after driving O’Brien through the covers for four first ball and then glancing the second down to long leg for another boundary, only to be caught behind two balls later. Anderson faced only a few balls because of the rain but his recall was no doubt secured by his batting and wicketkeeping last weekend in the Eastern Counties Cup. He did take two catches on Saturday, including that of wicketkeeper Christian Burgess, a colt last year, for four.

A visibly exhausted Charlie Marshall, the St George’s chairman of the selectors, described the selection process as the toughest he has been involved in as a captain or selector. “This was 3½ hours and a lot of negotiating from each of the selectors, who gave their concerns, which I respected,” Marshall said. “It was just a difficult night and what made it more difficult is the fact that a lot of our players haven’t been doing well with the bat or the ball.

“We just had to do the best we could when it came to picking the team. I felt this was my most difficult year picking a team, every selector had different teams and as chairman I had to make a few decisions. I think Shannon Rayner deserved to be in. He had good Cup Match trials, trained hard and has had a good season with [Southampton] Rangers.

“I’m pleased with the rest of the guys, too, and we looking for the support from the St George’s fans. As challengers, we had to take chances.”