Challengers Southampton Rangers won?t be taking any chances during the opening round of the Western Counties cricket competition.

In a bid to avenge last year?s shock defeat to champions Warwick, Rangers have called on the services of Bailey?s Bay duo Corey Hill and Dennis Pilgrim as guest players to bolster their ranks as they brace themselves for what promises to be another exciting battle against their nearby rivals on Saturday at White Hill Field.

Rangers are presently without the services of Quinton Sherlock (ankle injury) and the exiled Gary Williams while Lionel Cann, Dwayne (Sluggo) Leverock and skipper Janeiro Tucker are away with Bermuda?s ICC Trophy squad in the UK.

Regular guest player Saleem Mukuddem is also off Island with Bermuda?s national cricket team.

Pilgrim and Hill will be colts in Saturday?s clash against Warwick and their presence will certainly provide interim skipper Kwame Tucker with more bowling options and add even more depth to an experienced batting line-up.

Warwick dethroned then champions Southampton during last year?s final at Southampton Oval, winning a high-scoring affair by six wickets.

Rangers coach Clevie Wade is expected to announce his team following Thursday?s practice session at the home of the newly-crowned Belco Cup champions.

Wade explained: ?Basically we are missing influential players such as my skipper Janeiro Tucker and Saleem (Mukuddem) who has been our guest player for the past two years.

?They are certainly a big asset and a big miss and so we felt that we needed assistance in particular departments. So we approached Corey and Dennis who are two of the most experienced all-rounders in the local game and they accepted the invitations.?

Both Hill and Pilgrim come equipped with valuable experience, having represented Somerset in Cup Match and their club Bay in the popular Eastern Counties competition. Bay are the current Eastern Counties champions.

?I thought we needed to strengthen our bowling department and they can also hold the bat,? Wade added.

Hill scored 70 runs against Rangers over the weekend while Pilgrim took three wickets and scored an unbeaten 11 during Bay?s first and only turn at bat in their drawn two-day contest against Southampton at Southampton Oval.

With four days to go before they do battle at White Hill Field, Wade, a former St.George?s Cup Match skipper, is confident his charges will execute the game plan against the current cup holders on Saturday.

?Our chances are good and we have been playing some good cricket,? he noted. ?Yes it?s going to be a miss playing without the skipper (Tucker) but I feel we have other players more than capable of coming into the team and getting the job done on the day.

?Cricket is played on the pitch and our performances of late have actually been good. We never underestimate Warwick. They have a very promising young side but I have always believed that whoever wants it the most on the actual day will be successful.?

While in recent years Rangers seem to have lost their appetite for the Western Counties, coach Wade insists the will and desire to win the cup has been restored in the camp.

?County is a priority for the Rangers community,? he pointed out. ?Everybody is hungry to win the cup back and add it to our trophy collection. Therefore, we will come out all guns blazing with the will to win.?

Last year saw the Western Counties cup change hands on three occasions.

Warwick, meanwhile, became the inaugural winners of the Kenneth (Mickey) Thompson Memorial Super Sevens Tournament at White Hill Field last April.