OJ Pitcher remains optimistic that St George’s can dethrone Cup Match champions Somerset despite his absence.

The experienced all-rounder’s hopes of retaining his place in the challengers’ team were dashed after he cracked a rib playing for club side St David’s in their Eastern Counties first-round clash against holders Bailey’s Bay at Sea Breeze Oval last Saturday.

Pitcher admits being ruled out of Cup Match at Wellington Oval has proved a bitter pill to swallow, but is adamant that St George’s are still capable of winning the match.

“I am absolutely disappointed there will be no Cup Match for me this year,” Pitcher told The Royal Gazette. “It’s extremely disappointing but what I will say is there is something in the air in the east right now.

“I went training two weeks ago with the Cup Match players in St George’s and I can honestly say in the 20 years or so I have been involved in Cup Match that I have never seen this many people at training. It had to be 35 to 40 guys training and putting in the effort. The camaraderie was amazing and it was great to see.

“We all know Delray Rawlins is available this year and we all know what he can do on the day. There are also a few others that if they perform the way they can perform and produce, it will be a headache for Somerset.

“As we know sport is played on the day and whoever performs best on the day wins the match, and in this case over the two days of Cup Match.

“We will see how it goes on the two days and I will be there to support the boys and wish those that make the team all the best.

“Hopefully we get some good weather because we all know what the weather has been like this summer. Hopefully we can get two full days of cricket and let’s go St George’s.”

Pitcher has been denied a spot in the Annual Classic through injury in three of the past four years and is gutted that his latest problem occurred right at the end of the rain-affected Eastern Counties match against Bay.

“I am absolutely disappointed especially how things went in the last ten minutes or so before the end of the day’s play for something like this to happen,” he said.

“I dived and stopped the ball but landed directly on top of the ball on my left side and immediately I knew something was up because it was a little difficult breathing.

“It was like I was winded a bit but I also felt some pain on the side right away, so I informed the EMTs who were at the ground of my situation. They came to check me out and told me to go to hospital for an X-ray to see what was going on, and the result came back that I cracked a rib.”

A huge question mark now remains as to whether the star player can recover to take any part in the rest of the cricket season.

“I don’t know if I am going to get any more cricket, so it looks like the remainder of the season is up in the air for me,” Pitcher said.

“It all depends on the healing process and how things go; everyone’s body is different.

“I would like to get a few games in before the season ends but again I just have to listen to the body as this isn’t something you play with. It is very painful and disappointing.”

The 40-year-old has also moved swiftly to dispel any speculation his latest setback might have forced his retirement as he intends to play for as long as possible to help groom the younger players at St David’s.

“That is not something that I am considering right now,” he said.

“We have a few very good youngsters coming through our senior programme and you can see where their games are developing, and I want to be a part of that to help bring them through to a point where I feel I can bow out of the game knowing cricket at St David’s is in good hands. These guys are our next leaders and will take St David’s through the next 20 or so years.

“I came up in an era when we were blessed to have a bunch of us youngsters being pushed by the senior players in the team to help develop our game and help us mature.

“So I always said it was only right for me to give back in that same capacity, and that is definitely something I want to do.”