YOUNG Men's Social Club have wrapped up a second straight Premier Division 50-overs title and Bailey's Bay are back in the top flight next season. But there are still issues to be determined on the final weekend of the 2008 cricket season.

Charlie Marshall's team showed that their 2007 championship success was no fluke when they retained their title with 12 wins from 14 matches. Nearest rivals Southampton Rangers, currently six points behind but with two games to play this weekend, can only achieve a comfortable second-place finish ahead of Belco Cup qualifying hopefuls Police, Cleveland and St. David's.

But will nothing to play for – for themselves that is – will Rangers even bother to show up for Saturday's match against Somerset Cricket Club and Sunday's match against Police? And if they don't, will the Bermuda Cricket Board even bother to penalise a team who have already failed to field a team on a couple of occasions late in the season?

Rangers' opponents on both days have much to play for. Somerset need a victory in order to move clear of the two relegation spots and condemn St. George's to the First Division next season along with Devonshire Rec.

Currently Somerset and St. George's are tied on 10 points but St. George's have already completed their season. The Bermuda Cricket Board have not been forthcoming with information on who will be relegated in case the two teams finish tied on points, whether 'head to head' or net run rate will determine who is relegated. Or even which team has the edge in either tie-breaking method.

Neither has the Board released any information on the promotion race should PHC and Leg Trappers finish level on points. These two teams are battling for the second promotion spot and according to the standings on the BCB website, PHC have 18 points while Leg Trappers have 16 points, although Leg Trappers are now level with PHC after last weekend's win over Willow Cuts, which sets the stage for a all-or-nothing clash with top team Bailey's Bay at Police field.

Last year Leg Trappers controversially missed out on promotion and no doubt they will be determined not to fall short again as they chase a place in the top division for the first time. Their fate is in their hands this time and PHC will be watching with keen interest.

Police, Cleveland and St. David's are battling for the final two Belco Cup places for next season. All have 14 points, with Police having played 12 matches, Cleveland 13 and St. David's 14 (according to BCB standings) going into the season-ending round of play on Saturday. Social Club and St. George's have played 14 games and have finished their season but confusingly St. David's and Devonshire Rec. have also played 14 but play each other on Saturday.

Police are away to Cleveland at St. John's Field where the winners will take one of the spots while St. David's face bottom Devonshire Rec. in an away match that will be played at St. David's because Devonshire Rec. is closed for football.

St. David's, who began the season by winning the inaugural 20/20 Tournament and defended their Eastern Counties title last month after a couple of scares, have had a disappointing season by their standards, failing to challenge for the league despite having one of the strongest teams in the league.

They did fare better in the Premier Division Open League, finishing unbeaten at the top of the unfinished league with four wins and a rain out from their five matches, nine points ahead of St. George's.

A match between the two east end rivals produced one of the biggest shocks of the season as former powers St. George's were dismissed for a season-low 28 in a league match. What happened two weeks later was even more shocking – they bounced back to beat St. David's in the Belco Cup semi-final by five wickets and then came within three runs of beating Southampton Rangers in the final at St. David's. It was the narrowest margin of victory in the 21-year history of the competition as Rangers continued their dominance of the Belco Cup with five wins in the last six years.

Rangers and St. George's now share the most wins in the competition (5), with Rangers in a position next year to become the most successful team team while the east enders battle to lift themselves from the depths of the First Division.

l Cricket historian Warrington (Soup) Zuill will be laid to rest tomorrow, ironically on the final weekend of the cricket season. Zuill, an invaluable source of Cup Match information, died last weekend after an illness and his funeral will take place at First Church of God on North Shore at 1 p.m.

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Weekend schedule

Saturday

Premier Division (50 overs): Somerset v Southampton Rangers (Somerset CC); Cleveland v Police (St. John's); Devonshire Rec. v St. David's (St. David's).

First Division (50 overs): Leg Trappers v Bailey's Bay (Police Field).

Sunday

Premier Division (50 overs): Southampton Rangers v Police (Southampton Oval).

First Division (Open): Flatts v Leg Trappers (St. David's).