St George’s have again rung the changes in a bid to end the recent Cup Match domination of Somerset.

Beaten by ten wickets in the “Pandemic Classic” at Wellington Oval in 2021, the East Enders have made six changes, including debut call-ups for middle-order batter Jonté Smith and seam bowler Jordan Burgess.

Somerset, meanwhile, remain a model of stability in selection with Western Stars captain Khiry Furbert displacing Steven Bremar as wicketkeeper in the champions’ only change.

This time last year, Smith was plotting pre-season in his professional football career. But the son of coach Clay Smith was one of the very few who impressed with the bat in a dire final trial, where the President’s XI were skittled for 69 in less than 30 overs.

Set a contrived 250 to chase to give players in the second innings a reasonable chance to impress, the Vice-President’s XI could muster only 153 all out, with Smith scoring a team-high 29 to set up a unique scenario where both coaches’ sons will take to the field at Somerset Cricket Club this week in the country’s biggest sporting and cultural event.

Burgess, a left-armer of great promise who plays his cricket at Bailey’s Bay, gave a glimpse of what he can do, but his selection would have been reasonably certain before yesterday.

There are recalls for OJ Pitcher, Treadwell Gibbons Jr, Macai Simmons and Zeko Burgess.

Pitcher, who has struck two centuries for St David’s this season, did not play in the trial because of sudden illness, but given the carnage on display his stock would have risen in absentia — further exposing as myth that one has to play in the final trial to be considered for selection.

Gibbons and Simmons, so unlucky to miss out last year when they picked up injuries in the run-in to the Annual Classic, were virtual shoo-ins — especially after Oronde Bascome’s season was curtailed by injury and Detroy Smith was ruled out in the past fortnight for reasons that remain unexplained by the club.

Burgess, the remaining recalled player, made his selection a certainty within the first hour of the trial when he snapped up four of the first five wickets to fall as the President’s XI collapsed to a shambolic 28 for seven on a good pitch before Mackih McGowan and Dean Simons mounted a temporary fightback.

Those to lose their places apart from Bascome and Smith were Temiko Wilson, 2021 colts Jamar Stovel and Isaiah Greaves, and 2019 MVP Justin Pitcher, who also missed the final trial but was not given the same licence as his St David’s team-mate.

The quality of the batting in the final trial at Somerset was markedly better than what transpired in the East End — but not significantly so. The President’s XI made 171 all out and bowled out the Vice-President’s XI for 137, Terryn Fray the only batter from east or west to reach fifty before retiring.

Those disappointed to miss out would include Dominic Sabir, who gave his hand away through his inability to keep the ball on the ground early in his innings — albeit that it took an exceptional return catch by Greg Maybury Jr. And Southampton Rangers pacer Nirobi Smith-Mills will have to wait another year after breaking down in his second over.