Veteran Lionel Cann was dropped by St George’s in one of six changes, including four colts, despite leading the Vice-President’s XI to a seven-wicket victory over the President’s team in Saturday’s trial match at Wellington Oval.

The selectors endured another long night before emerging after almost four hours to reveal a team that included some surprises. Cann is out along with Kyle Hodsoll and wicketkeeper Sinclair Smith, while opening batsman Mishael Paynter is recalled after an eight-year absence in the wake of his top knock of 61 for the Vice-President’s XI.

Seam bowler Hodsoll, just recalled last year, loses his spot after finishing wicketless on Saturday, conceding 49 runs in eight overs.

The selectors acted boldly in bringing with the new faces, with Chare Smith the biggest shock. The Warwick player was pencilled in to play in the Somerset trial match last week, before making a late switch to St George’s.

“We sent him a letter in the early part of the year to invite him down and when he came back from school in England, somebody must have convinced him to go to Somerset to a training session, from what I hear,” Ryan Steede, the St George’s coach, said.

“He came to St George’s the following day and I guess he was impressed with what he saw because he came back. Somerset had him picked for the trial, but it is a bonus for us.

“He bowled extremely good, a long spell yesterday and has a bright future ahead of him. He will not only lead the St George’s attack in the future but also the Bermuda attack. He got three wickets on a flat track, showed a lot of fitness, showed a lot of stamina and is athletic.

“Our captain, Macai Simmons, expressed interest in the youngster and we backed Macai’s decision. Now we hope he comes up with the goods on Thursday and Friday. Macai and him have a good relationship from the last [Bermuda] tour they were on.”

Smith was able to play in the final trial match — though not selected — after Stefan Kelly pulled out because of an injury.

“Stefan limped out of training on Thursday night, complaining about a knee injury he had from last season,” Steede said.

“He didn’t feel he had the strength to go the distance and I respect his honesty. He let me on the morning of [the final trial] that he was not fit enough to participate in the trial and didn’t want to block anybody else from making Cup Match.”

Smith shared the new ball with Charles Trott, of Southampton Rangers, and did enough to impress the selectors with three for 30 from 15.3 overs.

Trott, who missed out on selection last year, got the nod this time after a six-over spell yielded one wicket for 14 runs.

Performances in the final trial still count for something, with Paynter earning a recall and Temiko Wilson getting the wicketkeeping job ahead of Smith and Okera Bascome after scoring a patient 44 not out from 71 balls for the Vice-President’s team.

Cann was the other not-out batsman, with 25 including three fours and a six. However, it was not enough for him to keep his spot.

Steede was a Bermuda team-mate of Cann when the team qualified in Ireland in 2005 for the 2007 World Cup in the Caribbean.

He admitted it was tough leaving Cann out of the team, which effectively ends his Cup Match career at age 45.

“Lionel is a good mate of mine,” Steede said. “I have a lot of respect for Lionel, he’s achieved a lot in Cup Match and for Bermuda. It’s unfortunate it has had to end this way. I know it is not the way he wanted to go out, a man who has achieved over 1,000 runs in Cup Match.

“But really we are at a stage now where we have to move on. It’s an opportunity for one of the other youngsters in our team to step up and become one of the senior batsmen.”

Detroy Smith is the other big surprise, earning his place after taking three catches at the top of the President’s batting order and then scoring 17 in an opening stand of 36 with Paynter. He also claimed two for 36 from 13 overs as the President’s team was dismissed for 157 in 59.3 overs.

Earning a recall is former captain Oronde Bascome, who led the President’s batting with 41 from 93 balls before being caught and bowled by Detroy Smith. Next high scorer was captain Macai Simmons with 27.

Paynter’s top knock means that he will appear in Cup Match for the first time since 2010, when he made 28 runs on his debut in the drawn match at Somerset.

Only two other players remain from that 2010 team: Allan Douglas Jr, also a colt that year, while Oronde Bascome was the captain and will be vice-captain on Thursday and Friday.

Team: Macai Simmons (capt), Oronde Bascome (vice capt), Onias Bascome, Temiko Wilson (colt), Charles Trott (colt), Chare Smith (colt), Zeko Burgess, Allan Douglas, Detroy Smith (colt), Mishael Paynter, Treadwell Gibbons. Reserves: Nzari Paynter, Isaiah Greaves, Q’Shai Darrell.